Hollywood agents are convinced that the Writers Guild of America won't grant a waiver to the 65th annual Golden Globes put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and broadcast by NBC. Then again, the network should be ashamed of backing the phoniest awards show ever since the HFPA won't allow the staff journalists from the most respected overseas papers to join its tiny and unimpressive clique. (Not to mention its ethically challenged history.)
Right now, emails are circulating inside the major Hollywood talent agencies discussing what the actors and directors and even writers should do about attending because it's near certain that a WGA picket line will be erected outside the event. "Everyone remembers the Powers Booth incident 20-plus years ago," one inter-agency email forwarded to me said. "I realize no one is thinking that far ahead per se, but if any of you speak to the powers that be at the WGA, ask them what they think the union will expect from SAG members and their members."
The reference to actor Powers Boothe dates back to 1980 when he played crazed cult leader Jim Jones in the CBS-TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and won the Emmy. During the Screen Actors Guild strike that fall, he was one of the few members who showed up at the ceremonies to claim his award. He said at the time, "This may be either the bravest moment of my career or the dumbest." Obviously, no agency wants to put their clients in that kind of awkward position, and the Golden Globes and NBC is panicking about who'll show up and who won't. But WGA sources say the full board must meet and vote on granting a Golden Globes waiver during the strike and that hasn't happened yet.
So far, the only awards show granted a WGA waiver is the Screen Actors Guild's because of that union's solidarity with the striking writers. Talk about a ratings boost! The big question is what the WGA decides about the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and its 80th Academy Awards broadcast on ABC. The rumor mill on that is working overtime.
The WGA might as well refrain from granting any awards waivers for any show, including SAG. Once you start picking and parsing which shows to give waivers too, you hurt everyone… Look, we writers chose this path, let’s keep the course. D.
Comment by David G. — December 15, 2007 @ 4:13 am
Much as I love the Oscars (until what seems like the third or fourth or fifth hour), I feel that the strongest message the Guild could send is not to grant a waiver for the show. Media coverage of the strike has been so poor and generally slanted, that canceling the Oscars would be a clear way of getting a message out to America that this strike is critical to the future of the entertainment business. Sure, we could picket the red carpet (if we could get close enough) and individual winners could, if permitted, make powerful speeches about the strike, but I think we are then more likely to be painted as “spoilers” - as pinkos who just don’t want to have fun! If there is no show at all, then that at least prompts the discussion: why? And in any case, the glitziest self-congratulatory awards show of them all in the midst of so many people out of work seems inappropriate.
Comment by Alexander Chow-Stuart — December 15, 2007 @ 4:28 am
I’m all for the actors going — get em’ up on that stage with a pro WGA message and an award in their hand and the night is ours.
Comment by Danzig — December 15, 2007 @ 7:52 am
Nikki,
Thought you might find this interesting. From Janet Charlston’s website about HFPA taking in all this swag:
Certainly the most popular people in town this time of year are the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who present The Golden Globes. A friend of ours lives in the same building as an HFPA member and he’s astonished at the number of gifts delivered to the foreign reporter. Gifts from studios, from talent agencies on behalf of actors, PR people etc. In October there were Halloween gifts - - baskets of wine, exotic coffees, pies, expensive chocolates etc. Big deliveries almost every day! Thanksgiving brought gourmet pumpkin pies, Sprinkles cupcakes (from Nicole Kidman - he sneaked a peek at the tag,) orchid plants galore, pistachio nuts, dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts, and floral arrangements. Our nosey neighbor also observed the delivery of a large $375 Jo Malone candle from England. We happen to LIKE the Foreign Press people and we’re more than a little envious, but now that the nominations have been announced, will the gifts INcrease or DEcrease? The bigger question is: will the writers strike scuttle the event altogether?
Comment by Anonymous — December 15, 2007 @ 8:35 am
No waivers! I can tell you now, if they grant a waiver to the Globes or the Academy Awards, I am not walking the lines anymore. Period. This guild can not ask us to leave our work, then suply product to the very companies we are striking against!
Comment by Lola — December 15, 2007 @ 9:49 am
my former boss, a c-level (then “b) actor, was told he’d win a Golden Globe if he attended the awards. He did - and he did.
This happened years after they publicly “cleaned up” the awards.
Comment by B. real — December 15, 2007 @ 10:06 am
Screw NBC and ABC. Just show the damn things on PBS and be done with it.
Comment by voodoo — December 15, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I know one thing…if the WGA grants waivers, the strike will fall apart. There is only one reason to go and support these awards and it is self-serving. With any perspective on the issue, one can see that the only beneficiaries of awards shows are the studios (and needy actors). Why should we help them? Why should the actors, whose contract is coming up next, be allowed to turn their backs on the WGA at a time when we can do the most damage to the companies. this only helps SAG. Again, we will do all the hard work, we will suffer for them, and they will party with the studio heads on national television. The membership will not, and should not, stand for that. No award show should be given waivers or should be supported by any guild. It’s one thing to have a contractual obligation to perform services, it’s another to screw your colleagues during a vicious strike for a little face time with Joan Rivers.
Comment by Stephen — December 15, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Screw the Golden Globes. They’re no friends to writers anyway. Or directors, for that matter. Every feature category they have is split into Drama and Comedy/Musical… except for Screenplay and Director. Which they lump into one category each to get the non-stars off stage as soon as possible. So to hell with ‘em.
No waivers for anyone… Except the writers of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Those guys could be doing us some good. Let them skewer the AMPTP for a while on national television. Come on, who doesn’t want to see that?
Comment by DLJ — December 15, 2007 @ 11:15 am
Let em’ do it….and we turn it into one big international mouthpiece for the WGA. Armbands, speeches…..choreograph the hell out of it…..
Comment by JKJK — December 15, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
It’s not even a question… there will be no waiver for the Globes.
Pro-WGA speeches do not matter. What matters is taking away the huge amount of CASH that the Globes earn NBC.
People watch it for the stars. No stars, no ratings. No ratings, no cash.
I certainly hope everybody follows the lovely and talented Katherine Heigl’s example.
And hey even better… how about NBC makes a deal and we avoid all this?
Comment by Steve — December 15, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
The general public doesn’t give a shit if the Golden Globes is a fraud or not.
They just want to see their favorite movie and TV stars in one place.
I’ve watched the show for as long as I can remember but I’ll probably skip them this year (and in future) as well as the Oscars because I put up with enough liars, thugs and thieves as a writer in this business that I don’t need to endure more of it in a dragged-out awards show.
I did read that Glenn Close (nominated for Best Actress for Damages) has said that she will not cross a picket line.
Kudos to her.
Of course, Christina Applegate said “of course I’ll be there.” Why am I not surprised?
Comment by Sherilyn — December 15, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
You Rock Nikki!
On Thursday WGA Board member and negotiator Ron Bass (and writer of “Rain Man”) came down to the CBS Television City Line and after giving us an update an impromptu vote was taken about the possibility of boycotting the Oscars and Golden Globes. The picketers were emphatic that absolutely no award show should be granted a waiver, except for SAG, which of course has been very supportive. The Golden Globes were a no brainer, many were willing then and there to walk the Beverly Hilton Line, however, when it came to the a direct boycott of the Oscars (meaning besides the waiver, which everyone was in agreement) there was much discussion from all sides, some arguing for a complete boycott, others suggesting a visual protest (a la the red ribbon, maybe pencils pinned to a lapel). While the Academy is a real organization with a writer’s branch, I think we should look carefully at the pros and con and consult closely with SAG before making a decision. I think a visual and verbal protest on camera for the world to see is far more effective than having a picket line five blocks away (and it will be).
Comment by nick — December 15, 2007 @ 11:13 pm
I normally work the Globes as Talant Producer, I WILL NOT CROSS THE PICKET LINE. GOD knows i need the money, but right is right and wrong is wrong!!!
Comment by Mark Hill — December 16, 2007 @ 8:01 am
While recently in LA, I read an LA Times Business article (Fri Dec 14) about how the strike could affect the GG. The comments made by the prez of HFP offended me deeply, as a member of the general public, and I dropped my plans for the day to visit the WGA and personally request that the waiver not be granted.
Jorge Camara’s comment “…The Golden Globes are an awards show that brings the industry together” had me asking the question what the hell has this Schmoe done to “bring the industry together” since the strike started?
America’s general public strongly supports the WGA and would rather have our favorite scripted show back on and their staff employed again than see a parade of expensively dressed picket crossers take home a meritless statue. The general public should turn their TV off on the night of the Golden Globes in protest of this blatantly offensive night of fake congratuations.
*This* member of the general public just flew across the country to picket with her favorite show’s writers on Dec 13.
DENY THE WAVIER WGA! We’re in your corner!
Comment by Becca — December 16, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
Why is the guild even waiting to announce if there will be waivers or no waivers? Is it to keep us on the picket lines? I will say this again, if they give one waiver, ONE waiver, I am done.
Comment by Lola — December 17, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
I thoroughly enjoy the Oscars, my favorite time of the year. And especially since this year they have so much competition, I’m still for the writer’s strike. All the power to them for doing this. As painful as it is for our directors to put away projects for the moment, I think it’s a significant step for writers. They are such a huge part of making a film or show and they’re right in the fact that they don’t get enough credit. I applaud any actors/directors who are not attending the Golden Globes. I will be among them to not attend.
Comment by Helena — January 5, 2008 @ 11:57 am