On Monday, July 3, 2020, Norwegian journalist Kjersti Flaa filed a complaint against members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). This association, created in 1943, rewards the best television and film works at the Golden Globes ceremony.
The Golden Globes, a controversial mythical institution
The Golden Globes are one of the biggest ceremonies for television and film worldwide. Often considered a "taste" of the Oscars, the ceremony is watched by millions of people on NBC. Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) choose the nominees and winners of this ceremony. However, the composition of its members and its functioning are still controversial today. Indeed, each journalist wishing to become a member of the association must receive the sponsor of at least two members and a single veto is enough as a refusal. The journalist Kjersti Flaa denounces this system while the Golden Globes ceremony has already been controversial.
In 1982, the HFPA rewarded Pia Zadora when her husband offered a prepaid trip to Las Vegas to HFPA members. In 2011, former HFPA press secretary Michael Russell filed a complaint. He believes he was fired for exposing the HFPA's fraudulent practices. The same year, the film the Tourist, a commercial and critical failure, was nominated in various categories.
Why is journalist Kjersti Flaa complaining?
In its complaint, it denounces the monopoly situation created by this association and the excesses of their position. The journalist also cites "a culture of institutionalized corruption". She accuses them of taking advantage of this membership to rub shoulders with Hollywood stars and all the luxurious services offered. It also accuses them of sabotaging the accession of new members. Indeed, the current members would not want to give up the advantages of their situation: luxury hotels, trips to the four corners of the world. It also denounces the lack of transparency in the composition of members. She talks about the grip the HFPA has on major studios that must bend to the wishes of Golden Globe voting journalists.
The journalist ran twice (2018, 2019) to be a member of the HFPA but to no avail, even though she considered that she had all the criteria met. In her complaint, she cites two Scandinavian journalists who allegedly refused her candidacy because she would compete with them. In light of these accusations, the HFPA defends itself by defining these remarks as "repeated attempts to undermine the organization" and instead that the HFPA seeks to renew and rejuvenate itself. The HFPA responded to the complainant that "membership was not achieved through bullying."
The large voting institutions of the small and big screen are today at the heart of the controversies. If, for several years, the Oscars have been singled out for their lack of diversity, it is now the Golden Globes that face serious accusations. After the controversy of the Césars with Polanski, 2020 is a year where voices are rising. To be continued …
