The Justice

Upon hearing news of the cancellation of the 65th Golden Globe Awards show, among the array of emotions and variations of betrayal that had befallen the American public, one thing was clear: 2008 would lack a Sunday evening's worth of entertaining, mildly intoxicated celebrities brought together to be praised for their cinematic/television efforts by the ever-ominous "Hollywood Foreign Press." I could make snide remarks about the progression of the grief caused by the Golden Globes' absence-my denial is really heartbreaking-but the truth of the matter is that past the vain spectacle of couture dresses, rare jewels and generally shiny things, there is some substance to the event. The lack of a Golden Globe ceremony is a pity for the nominees for whom the Golden Globes is the ultimate achievement in their line of work, second only to the Academy Awards. The often-heard phrase "It's an honor just to be nominated" is almost mocking, as the majority of the American public is probably not familiar with this year's winners, let alone nominees. This is the real tragedy. Forgive the adjective; it may sound overstated, but it is appropriate, because it robs the winners of the biggest advantage of their Golden Globe nominations: self-promotion.

I had not realized the significance of the Golden Globes until I heard about this year's winner for the best drama television series. (Despite the lack of a formal televised ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held a 31-minute press conference January 13, broadcast on NBC, which had exclusive rights to broadcast the ceremony. NBC filled the remaining hours set aside for the televised ceremony with commentary by Access Hollywood hosts Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell.) Mad Men, the series created by Sopranos executive producer/writer Matthew Weiner and televised on AMC, has been critically lauded for its writing, casting and content-basically, everything-but I never expected the show to actually win a Golden Globe. Mad Men premiered in the summer, essentially declaring to the public, "This is an experimental show." But Mad Men lives up to the hype. Set in the New York advertising world of 1960, the show explores gender politics, adultery, love and identity in a truly novel way, making modern social commentary while indulging in antiquated lingo and social habits. It has a darkness most prime-time shows simply couldn't muster-one of the advantages of being hosted by a network like AMC, not to mention having a cast of brilliant writers. But Mad Men did not receive its due exposure via the Golden Globes and will have to rely on the loyalty of its early audience. It's painfully ironic how the outcry for better television is sounded time and time again, yet upon the delivery of quality, no one is around to hear it (R.I.P. Arrested Development).

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