Hollywood raised the white flag within the tradition battle on Sunday.
This recap of the 82nd Golden Globe Awards will undoubtedly worsen some individuals within the film capital. us? Giving in to the ethical excessive floor of President-elect Donald J. Trump and his supporters? By no means.
They may level out – pretty – the movies that received awards on Sunday. Emilia Perez, winner of 4 Globes, is a Spanish-language musical about trans id. “The Brutalist,” which acquired three, is an epic in regards to the struggles of immigrants. “Conclave,” winner of one of the best screenplay award, is in regards to the election of a Mexican, intersex pope. “Depraved,” which acquired a brand new award for finest blockbuster, is about prejudice and the corruption of energy.
However the Globes have been by no means about finesse. The Globes are the place stars are presupposed to let it rip, the place they proselytize progressive causes and issues. Sunday’s present was Hollywood’s first megaphone since Mr. Trump was comfortably elected to a second time period. And this time it was barely heard of.
In 2017 Meryl Streep took a robust jab at Mr. Trump from the Globes stage throwing down the gauntlet for a brand new sort of tradition battle. The next yr, the Globes grew to become a de facto rally for the Time’s Up motion, with dozens of actresses sporting black to protest sexual harassment and Oprah Winfrey giving a keynote speech. In 2020 Michelle Williams made an impassioned enchantment for abortion rights, whereas Russell Crowe drew consideration to local weather change and Australia’s bushfire disaster.
Black Lives Matter, the worldwide refugee disaster and veganism have been touted from the Globes stage. In 2023 Globes gave airtime to Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelenskywho gave a speech condemning Russia.
Throughout the official crimson carpet preview, the hosts saved the dialog bordering on cotton sweet: you are stunning, I am stunning, the climate is gorgeous, every thing is gorgeous. “It is Sunday afternoon and the solar is up,” Felicity Jones advised an interviewer. “Not a lot to complain about.”
Throughout his monologue that opened the present, comic Nicky Glazer gently teased the assembled celebrities that they could not cease Mr. Trump from returning to workplace. “It is all proper,” she stated. “You will get them subsequent time — if there’s one.” She smiled and added, “I am scared,” earlier than altering the topic to Ben Affleck’s intercourse life.
The one different notable political commentary got here three hours later, when “Emilia Perez” received the Globe for finest musical or comedy. The movie’s star, Carla Sofia Gascon, used the second to talk out for trans rights. “You’ll be able to beat us,” she stated. “However you’ll be able to by no means take our soul away.”
“Elevate your voice,” she added.
Maybe the shortage of politics on Sunday’s present should not shock us. A lot of those that oppose Mr. Trump seem to nonetheless be deciding learn how to hit again at him and his administration. And there has even been a slight shift to the appropriate on the a part of Hollywood to wash up a number of the extra progressive edges of some exhibits and choose extra films that talk to Mr. Trump’s base.
Earlier than the Globes, some publicists and brokers suggested shoppers to maintain quiet about Mr. Trump and pointed to Rachel Zegler as a cautionary story. After the November election, Ms. Zegler, the younger star of Disney’s upcoming live-action movie “Snow White,” slammed Mr. Trump and his supporters in a social media publish. MAGA’s blowback was extreme, and Ms. Zegler was forced to apologize.
And for the individuals behind the Globes, the silence was most likely welcome. Producers who focus on televised awards exhibits say a survey compiled primarily by Nielsen exhibits viewers do not prefer it when celebrities flip a visit to the stage right into a political pulpit. Minute-by-minute viewership evaluation exhibits “enormous swaths” of individuals flip off their TVs when celebrities begin speaking about politics.
It harkens again to a time many years in the past when stars tried to be stars, turning on the allure and never saying something that may flip off a ticket purchaser. The message got here via loud and clear.