Tom Cruise has given up his three Golden Globes in protest of the lack of diversity that drives the prestigious Hollywood annual awards.
He is the latest star to join the growing chorus of criticism.
The Background
NBC, which has been broadcasting the event since 1996, has said it will not broadcast the event next year.
NBC said it wanted to see “sensible and significant changes” from the promoters, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Golden Globes is second only to Oscars in terms of profile.
Time’s Up, a leading advocate for industrial change, described the NBC move as “a time to define Hollywood”.
WarnerMedia, Netflix and Amazon Studios also refuse to participate in HFPA-related events. ,
The HFPA, whose members voted for the awards, has faced months of criticism from a February Los Angeles Times report stating that it had not had a single black member for 20 years.
What Will The HFPA Do?
On Tuesday, the HFPA published a timeline for the changes, saying it wanted to make “changes as soon as possible – and thoughtfully – as much as possible”, adding that “the transformation of the systems … is too late”.
It added that the organisation was committed to “achieving these goals with the utmost urgency”.
These programs will increase HFPA membership, with a focus on recruiting black members and hiring diversity advisors.
It has also promised to increase its membership by 50% in the next 18 months.
The organization has also indicated that it will unravel its confidentiality and strict acceptance rules by publishing a list of its members and welcoming foreign and international journalists across the United States, not just from California.
Diversity, equity and inclusion training will be provided to all members, as well as sexual awareness training.
Members will also be barred from receiving promotional material from film and TV studios.
“Any organization or sponsors who are committed to making a decision in our strong community of creative and talented people should do better,” said Time’s Up president Tina Tchen.
“Any organization or sponsors who are committed to making a decision in our strong community of creative and talented people should do better,” said Time’s Up president Tina Tchen.
Criticism
The main problems seem to be that the implementation of the reforms is not fast enough.
According to Variety, organizations will continue to boycott Globes and other HFPA events until changes are actually made.
The timeline published by the HFPA says the new board and new members will be in office in the first week of August.
In a statement Monday, NBC said: “The transformation of this major is time consuming and operational, and we feel strongly that HFPA needs time to do well. As a result, NBC will not broadcast the 2022 Golden Globes.
“We think the organization will implement its plan. We hope to be in a position to showcase this plan by January 2023.”
The TV network’s decision also follows a sharp decline in Globes’ viewing figures, which has dropped by 13 years this year. That is the practice of film awards shows in general – especially during the epidemic, when there are many festivals to explore the red carpet and make their events almost.
