The start of a new year always brings about some reflection. The most fun reflection, in my opinion, is on the TV, music, and movies that kept us entertained in the past year. Without further ado, I present the best and worst parts of the Golden Globes and Grammys.
Starting strong with my favorite part of awards shows…
The Best Dressed!
Miley Cyrus stunned in five different outfits modeled after her good friend and godmother, Dolly Parton. Her hair had impressive height and some even described her as looking electrocuted. She walked the carpet in a dress made entirely from 14,000 gold safety pins. Later into the show she performed her hit song “Flowers,” which won two awards, in a sparkly silver dress designed by Bob Mackie.
Barry Keoghan showed up in a striking red Louis Vuitton suit that was well accessorized with earrings, a pearl necklace, a belt, and some wrist bling. He took risks with his bright red, wool, and plaid suit. Male actors often tend to play it safe with a suit and tie, but Keoghan refreshingly avoided doing that.
The Most Notable Award
At the Grammys, Taylor Swift won Album of the Year. This historic award puts her on the same level as other stars like Stevie Wonder and David Bowie after achieving four Album of the Year awards. Swift’s album, “Midnights,” was filled with hits like “Anti-Hero” and “Maroon.” The response to her win was very mixed – as most things are with Taylor Swift – but ultimately her achievement will go down in history as an impressive feat.
At the Golden Globes, Lily Gladstone won Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her heart-wrenching performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” She is the first indigenous person to win this award. In her speech, she spoke words in Blackfoot as well as English where she called out to other aspiring Native American actors and actresses. Her empowering speech and performance served as a strong reminder that indigenous people cannot be overlooked in the media industry.
The award for the worst awards show host goes to Jo Koy at the Golden Globes.
Koy is a stand-up comedian and actor who starred in “Easter Sunday” and several comedy specials on Netflix and Comedy Central. He started off the show with a long series of rather unfunny jokes. Most infamously, he claimed that the Barbie movie is about “a plastic doll with big boobies.” From a viewer’s perspective, I felt secondhand embarrassment for the awkward and tense responses to Koy. Hopefully, he will take notes from pros like Trevor Noah for future award show hosting gigs.
The Most Surprising Couple
Timothee Chalamet has been a favorite amongst women and men alike after his performance in “Call Me by Your Name.” Kylie Jenner has been an adored member of the Kardashian family with inspiring accomplishments in business and beauty. I can’t have been the only one to be shocked by their presence together at the Golden Globes. Many rumors and pictures have been circling their relationship, and at the Golden Globes, they were seen kissing and whispering. I am certainly excited to see what this couple will do next.
A note from a week later: It seems that the couple has gone nowhere! Fans are guessing that they are already broken up. Just another example of the fantastical surprises that happen at awards shows.
The Best Speech
One issue I have when watching awards shows, or just spending any amount of time fawning over famous people, is the feeling I get that the entertainment field is out of touch with the world. We are facing issues all over the globe that get not even half of the attention that the Grammys or the Golden Globes receive. I commend Annie Lennox, who during her tribute to Sinead O’Connor, promoted the Artists for Ceasefire movement. She, along with the band Boygenius, who wore Artists for Ceasefire pins, were some of the few to acknowledge the events happening outside the privileged elite of the Grammys.
The Biggest Robberies
From the Golden Globes, “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Ted Lasso” were deserving of more acknowledgment. I was in agreement with the attention received by “Oppenheimer,” but it did feel a little lacking that there was no response or mention of “The Downwinders,” a drama about a group seeking support for the people directly impacted by the development of the atomic bomb. They have received no support despite “Oppenheimer’s” fame. If you haven’t heard of them, I highly encourage you to take some time and read a couple of articles!
From the Grammys, I absolutely adored SZA’s album, “SOS.” She deservingly won Best R&B Album, but she should’ve won Best Album of the Year. While “Midnights” is certainly popular, especially in the midst of Swift’s Eras Tour, there is no album that had more popular songs than “SOS.” The album set multiple records for the amount of time it spent at #1 on the charts.
That is all I’ve got for now. But, don’t forget to tune in to the Oscars on March 10th! Maybe you’ll see Will Smith punch Chris Rock; maybe you’ll find a new favorite movie. No matter what, it is sure to be an entertaining three and a half hours.
