The Few, the Not AlwaysProud, The HFPA: ® TheirAwards Stay Golden Evenin Face of RidiculeGettyBy RayRichmondFormer HFPA ® President Philip BerkIt’s often difficult to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the Hollywood ForeignPress Association ® and its crown jewel, the Golden Globe Awards, ® which will be handedout for the 69th time on Jan. 15, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and telecast live on NBC.10 The Awards Edition 2011-2012 Issue 04Seemingly from the time of the first ceremony in1944, both the Globes ® and the organization thatsponsors them have been steeped in allegation andoccasionally outright scandal.Indeed, it isn’t just any select group of internationaljournalists that can claim to be embroiled in a pair ofactive lawsuits – one as plaintiff and one as defendant– while steeling itself for an awards show that willbe presided over for the third time by a comedian(Ricky Gervais) whose repertoire of jokes evinceopen contempt for the very organization that hireshim. The HFPA ® might be described as a peculiarlyseamless blend of enthusiasm, entitlement, insecurityand persecution complex.But before revealing or speculating further, a fewHFPA/Globes ® basics would seem in order. And forthose, we go straight to the source: goldenglobes.org.A bewilderingly small group of individuals choose theGolden Globes, ® which is well known. The HFPA ®Members Page presently lists 82 active members whovote on the Globes ® . That’s it. In other words, whilethousands cast ballots for the Oscars ® as members of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ® fewerthan seven dozen folks choose the Golden Globes. ®The Globes ® utilize two rounds of paper ballot votingwith HFPA ® members, all of it monitored by theaccounting firm of Ernst & Young (which both mailsout the ballots and exclusively receives all submissions).All active HFPA ® members are permitted to vote onall of the categories, film and TV, no matter theirjournalistic affiliation or particular area of expertise.The first round determines nominees, the secondround the winners. And voters are asked to rank theirwinners picks on a weighted 1 to 5 basis – with No. 1being their first choice and going down in descendingorder with No. 5 being their least favorite. The purposeof that is to break potential ties.There has been discussion of online voting but, as isthe case with the Motion Picture Academy’s voting forOscars, ® it has yet to be permitted because technologyPIA ZADORAGettyneeds to improve to the point where it’s hack-proof. Inthe absence of that, Ernst & Young provides a timetestedand secure haven.Ballots also are outfitted with a page in back that’sdesigned to reduce the risk of potential conflicts ofinterest, asking voters to list any jobs, duties, volunteerwork or affiliations that could be seen as tainting theirjudgment. It’s happened that some members have hadtheir Globes ® votes removed from certain categoriesdue to perceived – and perhaps unwitting – conflict.Just who are these people who vote on the Globes ® ?Well, some are full-time entertainment reportersemployed by overseas publications. Others are parttimefreelance “stringers” who merely dabble in theoccasional newspaper or magazine piece and maketheir primary living in another field entirely. Theyrepresent countries all over the globe, from Lebanonto Dubai, Russia to Brazil, South Korea to Israel,Germany to Australia.Because there are so comparatively few HFPA ® members,their collective influence can vastly outstrip the tangiblemagnitude of their jobs. But to be sure, the requiredcommitment to the Hollywood Foreign Press itselfappears to leave little time for actual writing. In its FAQwebsite link, an answer details how HFPA ® members“attend more than 300 interviews and countless movieand television screenings throughout each year.”Qualifying for membership in this privileged grouprequires one to have their “permanent, primary”residence in Southern California; be registered withthe Motion Picture Association of America ® in itsInternational Directory for at least one year precedingan application for membership; be sponsored bytwo active HFPA ® members; and submit a letter ofappointment as a Hollywood correspondent from apublication published outside the continental U.S.They also need to submit four “complete and original”issues from said publication(s), each featuring one ormore articles/interviews that include their byline,along with evidence of payment. Photographers alsoare welcome to become members.The vigorous vetting process has led to charges overthe years that the HFPA ® is an impenetrable andtightly cliquish organization that rarely permits in newmembers. It also hasn’t done much to mute regularcriticism from either the Hollywood productioncommunity or the A-list acting honorees at the Globeswhose tongues have perhaps been loosened by theliberal flow of alcohol. Gervais himself cracked tothe roomful of showbiz heavyweights and some 17Continued on p12
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