The Golden Globes are collapsing.
Scarlett Johansson has become the second major star to ditch the group, after her fellow “Avengers” star Mark Ruffalo did the same.
Johansson said in a statement: “As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past, this has often meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment. It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences.
“The HFPA is an organization that was legitimized by the likes of Harvey Weinstein to amass momentum for Academy recognition, and the industry followed suit. Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organization, I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole.”
Ruffalo and Johansson are buttressed by Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, who yesterday also exited the Globes. Sarandos responded to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s vote to make sweeping changes in the organization. He didn’t buy it. “We’re stopping any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made.”
For Netflix to leave an awards group is major– they would do anything for an award or nomination. So this is serious.
Amazon has also joined in. “We have not been working with the HFPA since these issues were first raised, and like the rest of the industry, we are awaiting a sincere and significant resolution before moving forward.”
The issues are many but they start with the Globes’ racism, their lack of inclusivity, no Black members, the hostility of older members to change, not to mention their overall voting issues, and general creepiness.
Even now, as the whole enterprise is crumbling, the group has no leadership. They’ve failed to respond to the outcry around them in a meaningful way. Executives at NBC and Dick Clark Productions must be losing their minds as their Golden goose is being led to slaughter. But it was just a matter of time. This has been going on for decades. And no matter what I wrote about it here, or in my column, no one would do a thing about it
More to come. Absolutely.
