The Controversial “Emilia Pérez” Surprisingly Swept the Golden Globes Awards Night. (Courtesy of Variety)
It is no secret that award shows have lost their popularity among general audiences within the past decade.
Hollywood’s three biggest nights: The Academy Awards, The Emmys and The Golden Globes, are all facing record-low viewership rates, and such numbers continue to decline yearly. There are several reasons for the decline, including a disinterest among 18 to 34-year-olds in tuning into a three-hour-long show, and many growing tired of Hollywood’s pretentious picks that ignore popular projects.
2024 marks the second year of the Golden Globes’ return to primetime television after being dropped by NBC in 2022 due to several controversies. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the voting party behind the television and film award show, has reportedly updated its rules regarding committee members receiving lavish gifts from potential nominees and formed a diverse voting body after an LA Times article revealed that the group had no Black members.
However, it seems that these long-needed changes to the award show’s operation cannot save it from praising undeserving creatives whose pieces are inaccessible to the public.
This year’s Golden Globes nominees and winners certainly reflect the latter complaint, with the internet fuming over Jacques Audiard’s offensive “Emilia Pérez” winning a staggering four awards, including the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy award. The audience-hated film, with the current abysmal IMDb score of 5.7/10, shockingly won over fan favorites “A Real Pain,” “Anora,” “Challengers,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked”.
“Emilia Pérez’s” frustrating accumulation of awards at the Golden Globes, as well as the painfully unfunny jokes throughout the night by host Nikki Glaser and other presenters, certainly demonstrate Hollywood’s inability to connect with the interests of the public. Such mistakes have led the Golden Globes to become a laughingstock on social media. The awards show is getting much-needed social media attention but for all the wrong reasons.
Sadly, no one is talking about Demi Moore’s much-deserving Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture–Musical or Comedy win for her incredible role in “The Substance,” or Kieran Culkin’s Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture award for “A Real Pain.” Instead, “Emilia Pérez’s” stilted musical numbers and horrendous dialogue are the topics that are making headlines across the world and further demonstrating the poor judgment and taste of Hollywood’s elite.
It seems that the Academy Awards has not learned from the mistakes of the Golden Globes, as “Emilia Pérez” has been nominated for a record-breaking 12 awards. It will be an uphill battle against the continued disappointment among moviegoers who simply cannot connect with the interests of the Hollywood elite.