Golden Globe Awards - 2011

[Tilden]

I didn't mind the outfit as much, but she kind of "mailed it in" with her presentation. She was much livelier in the audience.

Not that I put a lot of stock in such things, but I checked a couple of best and worst dressed lists (mostly to see if I had missed any really hideous dresses--and I had) and Sandra's getting nailed for that dress. Lea Michelle is getting put on the worst dressed list for the pink number she wore. I thought it was overly structured but compared to some of the other awful outfits on those lists, I didn't think it was that bad--and at least it was a color. I don't even like pink, but all the blah, washed out tones on stage made the whole thing look kind of sad instead of festive.

[Critical]

I thought Lea's was a miss. It also looked a lot like some of the others she's worn to previous awards shows. The color didn't do anything for her. Sandra Bullock's hair was awful. Those big, heavy bangs weren't flattering. I thought many of the actresses wore the wrong color for their coloring. Emma Stone is adorable, but she should have been wearing blue or green. That milky pink was not good. I always wonder how stylists keep their jobs when so many actresses look horrible at these awards shows.

This trend of 80's-style gowns is awful. Both Angelina Jolie and Anna Hathaway had those sparkly gowns with shoulder pads. Just, NO. I usually like everything Anne Hathaway wears, but this gown was just awful, in color and in style. I hope they do a better job dressing her when she hosts the Oscars.

I find the GG's designations puzzling sometimes. The Kids Are All Right isn't a comedy. At all.

[CrossingGuard]

I watch the GGs every year, but personally, I think that they've become sort of a joke. How do they support nominating people like Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Halle Berry for performances that were more panned than acclaimed? Why is The Tourist even getting recognition... how is it even a comedy!?

Perhaps the problem stems from having a "Musical or Comedy" category, but at the same time, I like that they have their own separate category -- otherwise, the focus would solely be on the dramas. I think they just have to clearly define what fits in with either category because although I haven't watched The Kids Are Alright, I agree with Critical that it doesn't strike me as a comedy (although it is billed as a "comedy-drama" on IMDb and Wikipedia). Maybe they should just name it "Best Picture - Other" so that the confusion is gone.

[chrisg]

I think they stretch the definitions of those categories to be able to honor films that would be left out otherwise. It is annoying, though. Best Picture - Other. Good one, CG! And the 80s fashion really does have to go. Wasn't it bad enough the first time around, for goodness sake?

[Dragonlady]

I watch the GGs every year, but personally, I think that they've become sort of a joke. How do they support nominating people like Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Halle Berry for performances that were more panned than acclaimed?

I used to watch the GG and the Oscars religiously but not anymore. When I was younger I was naive enough to believe that the best actor/actress won for that reason. After awhile, I began to realize the award goes to whoever or whatever happens to be the flavor of the month. So because of this, it's lost it's appeal for me.

[CrossingGuard]

I love films and I love watching award shows in the lead-up to the big daddy of them all, the Oscars. But my problem is more focused on who is nominated rather than who wins.

However, I do think you have a point with rewarding the "flavor of the month," as movies that are released later in the year tend to be the frontrunners. In addition, although I can't disagree with wins like Natalie Portman's -- she had a knockout performance -- there is a Hollywood-bias when it comes to these awards. Sometimes the best performance isn't from America, and because of that these award shows fail to find the movie, actor, actress, etc. that are the true best. There are times when people like Marion Cotillard win, but that isn't the case all the time.

But for the most part, the voters find great films, performances, writing, and the like to recognize. And then there are times when things like Crash wins Best Picture at the Oscars... but it's always fun to have a shocker or two.

[causingchaos]

I used to enjoy reward shows more as a kid too. As I grew up I realized that these were much more politics than what is actually good any given year. I laughed outloud when I saw Burlesque on the list this year.

[Harvest]

There were lots of hideous outfits, none worse than Julianne Moore’ s. She looked like she was wearing half a pair of Hammer pants as a sleeve. Ack! But outfits were not the most noteworthy aspect of the event. It was the way they all ganged up on the host, Ricky Gervais, whose opening monologue was hilarious, btw. "Hugely mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones." Really, Robert Downey Jr.? Really president of the HFPA, threatening your host? Really, Bruce Willis, trying to come up with a snarky comment and failing? Why are you all piling on Ricky while he is in the middle of doing his job? Have you never seen The Office or his standup? If you didn't want his brand of humor, you should have hired someone else.

With the show only about half over, I’d hoped against hope that they’d develop a sense of humor about themselves soon. But later on Tom Hanks and Tim Allen came out, one of them said Ricky used to be fatter and his jokes kinder or jollier. Can't remember the exact wording, but I do recall that Tom let Tim drop the hammer and say "now he is neither," which I thought was very cowardly of Tom, allowing himself to remain Hollywood's nice guy while at the same time participating in the despicable spectacle of public shaming, censure and condemnation. They forgot - or more likely had the hubris not to care - that they are supposed to be entertaining the viewers, and instead turned it into a personal peeve session. Whatever happened to entertainers' needing elephant-thick skin? Don Rickles could not have made a career if "the industry" had been such overtly nasty pack of attack dogs.

Recently saw Joan Rivers’ documentary where she worries about the industry turning on her, and have heard Kathy Griffin talk about the same. “Hollywood” has always been like that, but now they are letting it show. Sort of like Caligula in Rome.

[sweetpea]

I loved the standing ovation for Michael Douglas, and his quip afterwards "there's got to be an easier way to get a standing ovation" - he looked great, and is a class act. Also loved the win by Chris Colfer for Glee. The shock on his face was completely real. I just love it when someone never expects to win and then does.

[deedreamer]

Why are you all piling on Ricky while he is in the middle of doing his job?

I didn't take it as piling on Ricky just giving him some of his snark back. I think his comments were meant to get some rebuttal quips but I think those replying don't have the same quick glib tongue as Ricky so came off seeming more serious and perhaps "bitter" rather than trading reparte. I rather enjoyed it and chuckled to see who could get their own back at him.

I loved Olivia Wilde's big ballgown. I thought Johnny Depp looked kind of orange (too much spray tan) and his hair always seems to look so stringy and kind of greasy. J. Lo looked stunning in her white dress. Nice to see a smiling and proud Joe Mantagna when they announced that his daughter was the golden globe girl this year.