Golden Globes: One Small Step Forward, A Thousand Steps Back
In the wake of the chaos that was 2020, awards season was bound to be slightly weird this year. Announced virtually for the first time in history, the 78th Golden Globes presented its fair share of curveballs.
The Golden Globes demonstrated Hollywood taking one step forward in the way of shattering its own glass ceiling – nominating three women for Best Director. However, in that same step forwards, they stumbled multiple steps backwards, slighting all of 2020’s incredible black ensemble casts by nominating the whitest slate they could find, to the contempt of film critics and fans alike. It’s not as though they weren’t spoilt for choice either, 2020 saw a number of films and TV shows that contained diverse casts; like Jurnee Smollett, Adjoa Andoh, Zendaya, Uzo Aduba, Lamorne Morris, Sterling K Brown and Chris Rock to name a few.
One of the most shocking oversights came in the form of HBO’s I May Destroy You, a harrowing yet insightful drama which deals with sexual violence and assault. The show was universally acclaimed, with thousands of viewers coming together on the internet to discuss their own experiences, united in their admiration for a show which does so much to give victims of varying assault a voice.
So, if a well-written show that dealt with such a complex topic wasn’t nominated – what was? Well, much to audience’s surprise (including some writers of the show) Netflix’s Emily In Paris, created by Darren Star – which follows the story of a white, American woman hired by a marketing firm in France – received two nominations: for Best Musical/Comedy series and Best Television Actress. The Golden Globes is an award show that is supposed to highlight the best of television, so how could they choose to nominate a show that tells a story we’ve already seen countless times (think Sex and The City and Younger – both created by Darren Star!)
This further emphasises how outrageous I May Destroy You’s absence from this year’s nominations was. This is more than an unwarranted objection over a snub. In failing to recognise the importance of the biographical story told by writer, and actress Michaela Coel, there is a dangerous domino effect: we neglect to amplify those voices, or bring them to the attention of a wider audience. As a result, we risk undermining the show’s key message – that we need to do much, much more to stop sexual harm, and support victims.
If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s demonstrated our dependence on television. When we have no option but to stay indoors, we rely on television for both entertainment and education. The show aired during the summer amidst the resurgence of BLM protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death; everyone was looking at TV programming and asking for authentic depictions of black people, and yet they once again turn a blind eye, seemingly missing these contributions.
Michaela Coel’s startling I May Destroy You doesn’t feel like “fiction” at all. By not recognising the importance of stories like these, the Golden Globes demonstrates how far we’ve still got to go before victims are really listened to.