My Quick Thoughts on the Golden Globes

The 68th Annual Golden Globes have come and gone, and while it wasn't a ground breaking show, there were some decent surprises and tragic misses.

The Good

Katey Sagal
I'll admit that I was really late to the Sons of Anarchy patch-over party, but it was clear after watching Season 1 and the first few episodes of Season 2 that Katey Sagal was what made the show special. As Gemma, she's the matriarch that keeps SAMRCO clicking, and I wouldn't be surprised if Sagal played a similar role on set. After being ignored by most major awarding bodies, the HFPA finally broke the trend and gave her a much deserved statue. Maybe the Emmys can jump on the bandwagon and we can get a serious showdown between Sagal and Friday Night Light's Connie Britton in 2011.

Chris Colfer
No character has been as polarizing as Glee's Kurt Hummel. Some think Season 2 has turned him into St. Kurt who can do no wrong (never understood that argument) and are sick of him (understandable). Cynics feel that he's nothing more than Ryan Murphy's mouthpiece. Others recognize that focus on the show ebbs and flows between a handful of characters, and this season is Kurt's time to shine and he's been given an important storyline. Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, St. Kurt went Golden! I honestly wasn't expecting Chris Colfer to beat Emmy winner Eric Stonestreet, but he did and the genuine shock on his face and his acceptance speech were wonderful. I don't know if Colfer will be able to ride the wave to more wins, but he's a Golden Globe winner and no one can take that away from him.

Glee

You may think I'm biased, and maybe I am, but I was happy that Glee won Best Comedy. I've never shied away from voicing my displeasure about the missteps that show has made, but I've never hid the fact that I'll forgive Ryan Murphy for just about anything. That being said, I was expecting all of the backlash and Modern Family love to keep the show from winning. Don't get me wrong, I like Modern Family and if they'd won it would have been deserved, but in my opinion Glee is still funnier and more entertaining even with its inconsistencies. Honestly, I still think a show like 30 Rock should have won, but I'm not going to complain about a Glee win (although every one else will).

Tina Fey, Steve Carell, & Robert Downey, Jr.

It seems like Tina Fey and Steve Carell will forever be joined at the hip at these kinds of events because they once again presented for a writing category. I'm not complaining because their bit was funnier than anything Ricky Gervais gave us, and I would love to see them host the Globes one day once they've stopped being nominated year after year. Their brief time together on the Globes even made me want to watch Date Night, but I quickly came back to my senses. Robert Downey, Jr. also charmed everyone in the audience and at home with his randy presentation of the nominees for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical. On Twitter and in the blogosphere, people started begging for RDJ to host the Globes in 2012, but he's way too much of a star for the gig. Either way, the trio of Fey, Carell, and Downey took the bitter taste out of my mouth that Gervais left behind.

Jesse Eisenberg & Andrew Garfield

Even though I picked The Social Network to win Best Motion Picture - Drama, I still wasn't sold that it was the best film of the year and even less sold on the performances. I'm not trying to belittle Eisenberg or Garfield because they did have good performances, but I'm not convinced that they were two of the year's best. Anyway, the reason I have them on my Good list is because they were not pretentious enough to automatically go up to the stage when their movie won, and the fact that they had to be persuaded to join those on stage was endearing. P.S. - I know the picture isn't from last night, but it's them in suits with JT, so I figured the ladies wouldn't mind.

The Bad

Boardwalk Empire

I get why so many critics and fans love Boardwalk Empire, and I can admit that it's a well-made show, but it never really grabbed my attention. I don't begrudge a show that wants to take a slower pace to establish its world and its characters, but when a show about organized crime in Prohibition Era Atlantic City is boring for the first half of the season, then something's not quite right. Empire's two big wins really weren't shocking, and it was probably the second best drama nominated, but the fact that Mad Men didn't take home the Globe just felt off.

My TV Predications
Before the show, I hastily put together my picks for the Globes, and I was sure I was going to do well on the TV side of things since my view habits have skewed away from movies. Oddly enough, I got almost all of my Film predictions right, and I only got one TV pick correct (Jane Lynch). Whoops.

The Overall Event

Maybe it's because I went in with an aloof mindset, but I wasn't really entertained while watching the broadcast. Yes, there were some nice surprises and laughs thanks to the aforementioned presenters, but overall the show was meh. Or maybe it was because of the rancid tone set forth by Gervais, but more on that later. The 68th Annual Golden Globes wasn't a total waste of time, but it wasn't the best way to kick off the awards season (thankfully it was better than the Critic's Choice Awards) either. Unfortunately, I don't see the Oscars doing much better. Maybe NPH will come back and do the Tony's one more time. Fingers crossed.

The Ugly

Ricky Gervais as Host

I find Ricky Gervais funny, but only in small doses. For example, the brief moments he had as a presenter at past Globe events (which probably led to his hosting duties) were pointed and funny, but filling an entire broadcast with them can wear thin very fast. He kicked off the show with some mean-spirited barbs and set an unfunny tone for the night. Even the cracks made by Carell, Downey, Hanks, and Allen were to counteract the nastiness put out by Gervais but they also had some snarky undertones to them. I understand why NBC tapped him for host last year, and I kind of even get why they brought him back, but last night did not convince me that a third time would be a charm. Bring in someone new, give him a year off, and bring Ricky back as a presenter in 2013.

Haters on Twitter

hollywoodinpics.tumblr.com

Social media like Twitter can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a major buzzkill, and I found that out first hand last night. I kept getting tweets in my timeline that pretty much tore apart anything Lea Michele did. People went out of their way to criticize how she showed her happiness for Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch, and even told her to take notes from Kaley Cuoco. Look, I get it that people are not fans, but to question her sincerity and to judge her on how she shows emotion is just sad and bitter. As for Kaley, her reaction to Jim Parsons winning was a genuinely cute moment, but I guarantee you if Lea did the EXACT SAME THING people would call her out for being fake and over the top. Even so-called professionals like Ryan McGee and Daniel Fienberg just had to take their shots at Lea, and it was pathetic. Unfortunately, I'm sure Lea's use to it because apparently she can do no right in so many people's eyes. I feel bad for her.

So there you have it, my quick thoughts on last night's Golden Globes. Some of the highlights outweighed the negative moments, but overall it was a mediocre night for a mediocre award. I'm happy for all of the winners and nominees, but I'm glad to just move on to the Oscars (maybe).