A group of foreign journalists covering Hollywood banded together 80 years ago into the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and created the Golden Globes, a quirky, irreverent awards show, televised for decades, that people watched for fun and actors attended because they knew people would be watching.
A couple of years ago, the group got into trouble after the L.A. Times reported on its members’ unethical behavior — ranging from taking too many selfies with stars to taking too many free trips, hotel stays and meals from studios. The group also had no Black members.
After being shunned by Hollywood stars, publicists and NBC, the network that had been airing the show, the HFPA reformed itself, diversified and expanded its voting membership and set new rules forbidding all freebies. The show returned to NBC in January with stars schmoozing each other at dinner tables in the audience — but to near record low ratings. (Other big awards shows have gone up and down in the ratings.)
