Zoom Globes
2021’s Golden Globes were the unfortunate first guinea pig in the virtual awards show test.

The Golden Globes did indeed happen this year, virtually, as the first in their history to be done bi-coastally, with Tina Fey hosting from New York City’s Rainbow Room and Amy Poehler from Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel. Each respective ballroom’s audience consisted of socially distanced essential workers, to whom one of the hosts said, “You’re here so celebrities can stay safely at home.” The only other visible attendants were a slew of presenters as their usual glammed-up selves. Nominees, some also dressed up and others in hoodies (now sold-out) and pajamas, were displayed through screens from their homes and hotels along with some of their families which, actually, was quite heartwarming to see. 

In recent years, not many awards shows have come out without some controversy, and for this year’s Golden Globes those included are the snub of Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” and the fact that out of the ninety members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, none of those are Black. It didn’t take long for the two hosts, pockets full of blunt jokes, to throw the HFPA and their lack of diversity under the bus, describing them as “ninety international non-Black journalists” and saying, “you gotta change that.” We got to see three of its members come out on stage after a few award presentations to address their diversity issues by stating, “We need to give them a seat at the table.” and joining all the other companies and boards with diversity issues that have had to say the same in recent months. 

While the awards show served as a distraction from “everything going on in the world” to some extent, it also did not fail to remind us of all the things that we had no idea would plague the last nearly three hundred and sixty five days of our lives. Trying to write down the notable moments of the event, it took less than an hour until I simply resorted to writing, “SO CRINGE LOL.” The feeling was prompted when Laura Dern announced that Daniel Kaluuya had won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Judas and the Black Messiah. The problem, which has been everyone’s problem at some point this year, was that Kaluuya was muted for the beginning of his speech. Surprise, surprise. Eventually the screen went dark, Dern awkwardly apologized for “technical difficulties,” until Kaluuya quickly came back to say “You’re doing me dirty!”

Cringe-worthy moments ensued–before every commercial break in fact–when the screens of nominees of the following category to be presented would be put together for everyone to see, as if we needed a reminder of how awkward the smalltalk is of when you connect too early to a Zoom meeting or when you don’t know anyone on it. At one point we heard a muffled “I don’t know what to do!” and Michelle Pfeifer exclaiming, “I don’t have my glasses on so I have no idea who I’m talking to.”

Thankfully, there were a few non-cringe-inducing noteworthy moments too. There was a TikTok star guest appearance done right, one that didn’t make millennials feel like they can’t dance, with a special edition of La’Ron Hines’ “Are You Smart?” series which included a sweet dedication to the late Chadwick Boseman. Honorable mentions go to Bill Murray’s tie-dye shirt and martini, Jason Sudeikis, and Jodie Foster looking fabulous in silk pajamas. Beyond the meme-able moments, the indomitable Jane Fonda received a Lifetime Achievement award and Nomadland became the first film directed by a woman, Chloé Zhao, to win for Best Drama. Zhao also became the second woman (and first woman of color) to be awarded Best Director. We can only hope she is the first of many, many more and that it doesn’t take another forty years for it to happen. Also, that we don’t have to go through another year of virtual awards shows.