The nominations for the 78th annual Golden Globes awards have been released and some of the contenders have been called into question.
Sia’s film, Music, was nominated for best motion picture in a musical or comedy. Some critique the film for its portrayal of autism. As of Feb. 19, Music has a 10 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Gabri Sparks, a first-year student at St. Thomas University and avid film fan, said sometimes these award shows are too predictable.
“A lot of the time, we see the safe picks and then, once in a while, we’ll see the really interesting films that just simply make too much of an impact,” said Sparks.
For the Golden Globes, the nomination process revolves around the votes of specific members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The HFPA is a non-profit organization that reports on the entertainment industry, including conducting the Golden Globes. In November, members are sent ballots and a list of possible films. Then, the members vote for their five favourite films, actors and directors in each category and rank them.
The HFPA is not an organization of filmmakers, actors, or scriptwriters. It is an association of people involved in film media including journalists and photographers.
Sparks said a lot of the supposedly inclusive films nominated for these awards are less about highlighting the experiences of marginalized groups, but making these stories palatable for wider audiences.
“Make sure you’re actually validating these voices and putting the films that you think are the most authentic forward instead of this kind of safer, more palatable [films] for wider white, or straight or neurotypical audiences,” said Sparks.
Sparks said another issue is the lack of categories, especially for foreign films. They said unless someone’s an avid film buff, folks won’t get to experience anything outside mainstream genres.
“I think the categories do need to be changed,” said Sparks. “The way to do that instead of getting rid of current categories would be expanding to having more so you can encompass more of the media that’s being produced.”
Drew Hudson, a second-year STU student and pop culture buff, said musicals and comedies are two different things.
He said he heard rumours about the nominations being rigged, but he doesn’t know how much of that is true. Part of this included certain films have a large advantage over others.
When discussing awards shows like the Oscars, Hudson said they don’t have much of a point. He said it’s great when an actor wins an award, but only if they deserve it.
“You’re gonna want them to have praise when they deserve it, not just because an award show says that they deserve it,” said Hudson.
Hudson said some award shows are still relevant, but worries about their future. He said this is because people root for their favourite actor to win an award.
“If these award shows don’t start being more aware of what the audience wants to see it’s going to hurt them,” said Hudson.
Still, Sparks said there’s still a timeless quality that comes with awards shows. Sparks said they’re going to continue to bask in relevance.
“I love to hear that people who might not be into movies or TV, get into them through these award shows and kind of expand their palate,” said Sparks.
