Netflix, Amazon, And Others Boycott Golden Globes Due To Lack Of Diversity

Forum 3 years ago

Netflix, Amazon, And Others Boycott Golden Globes Due To Lack Of Diversity

Netflix, Amazon, and others are boycotting the Golden Globes due to the lack of diversity amongst its voting members. The Golden Globes are known for putting on a fancy party for the rich and famous, giving out awards honoring the best performances, movies, and television shows that came out that year. Their voting membership, known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), is comprised of 90 foreign film journalists from roughly 55 countries worldwide. The Golden Globes have been attended by Hollywood's biggest stars since 1944, gaining media attention and industry clout.

However, their relevance has been falling in recent years due to a number of controversies. Firstly, the Golden Globes divides their awards by genre mainly either Drama or Comedy/Musical. This has caused some problems in recent years when people felt that certain films did not belong in the category that they were nominated. For example, Get Out was nominated for Best Comedy or Musical, something many people disagreed with bringing the validity of the Golden Globes in question. The most recent Golden Globes was shrouded in the controversy surrounding their choice of nominations (notably Emily in Paris) and lack of black voters amongst its voting base. They also blocked Korean-led film Minari from being nominated for Best Picture.

Now it looks like Hollywood is taking a stand against the Golden Globes in an effort to enact change. The Wrap is now reporting that Amazon has joined the growing list of studios, actors, and filmmakers who are boycotting the famous award show. As many as one hundred Hollywood publicists have decided to boycott the Golden Globes at this point. Their demands include diversifying their voting base by including more black journalists and women. The HFPA says that they are currently working to rectify the situation by expanding and diversifying their pool of voters.

If Hollywood completely rejects the HFPA then that could be the end of the Golden Globes. The show may continue on for some time but they will have a hard time getting A-List talent to come on their show and for American journalists to even cover it. If their relevance in the awards season completely disappears, then so does the Golden Globes.

Award shows in general are having a hard time keeping up with modern audiences and sustaining viewership. The Oscars just saw a nearly sixty percent dip in ratings. This was proceeded by a number of huge viewership drops for other award shows as well including the Golden Globes. If the Golden Globes loses the respect of the industry and can't grow back its audience, then the show might not last much longer.