GG Top!
I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed an awards show as much as I enjoyed last night’s Golden Globes “press conference.” Stripped of the usual bloat, they still managed to squeeze 10 minutes of information into an hour long show, but it’s a definate efficiency boost from the usual 4 hours. So what’s to love?
- Hosts. The 2nd tier entertainment reporter power of Billy Bush and Nancy O’Dell proved that as limited as the talent of these guys seem on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, it’s even worse when they have to carry an entire hour on a single subject. It also reminded me of a quote by Frank Zappa about Rolling Stone - “people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read.” This show took the last two elements out of THAT equation!
- There were also frequent cutaways to another two entertainment reporters (3rd-tier) who provided “analysis” of the awards so far. I took it as a nod to production value, something to cut away to. Those two guys are standing at a podium; these two are sitting down. These two guys are white; one of those two guys is African-American. They seemed more scripted than the guys at the podium, which means they probably had an extra hour to consider their remarks. Perhaps they spent less time in makeup or more time in traffic.
- No production numbers!
- No special award to Steven Spielberg, but they alluded to it which in this context amounts to the same thing.
- They kept the music to a minumum but leaned on that “whoosh!” sound effect a little more than was necessesary.
- Contrary to reports there WERE star appearances on the show. In addition to trailer footage from nominated films, you also had: File footage of Nikki Blonsky learning that she was nominated, at home, screaming and crying with her family, and file footage of Angelina Jolie pulling an ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT reporter into a swimming pool. A far cry from from a roomful of drunk stars in formal wear perhaps, but more fun that the PEOPLES CHOICE AWARDS strategy of pre-taping solemn acceptance speeches.
- Watching footage of SWEENEY TOOD compared to the other movies made me realize why England in the 19th century was so depressing: they had no bright reds! Maybe all those cases of gout and consumption can be traced to a chroma deficiency!
- Finally, the best thing about the ceremony is this format is that it hammered home what I’ve always thought - the actual awards, who wins and who loses, just doesn’t matter at all. The lack of variety in presentation just makes it all the more obvious.
-daniel k