The acting community recently shared posts on social media to call out the Golden Globes before its premiere, bearing the tag, #TimesUpGlobes. The hashtag was meant to bring attention to the voting panel of the Golden Globes due to their lack of diversity.
Along with Mr. Potato Head and Dr. Seuss, the Golden Globes are in hot water with the public and have received media attention in the past couple of weeks.
The Golden Globes awards are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Out of 87 journalists in the HFPA, not a single member is Black. The lack of diversity on the panel has since caused outrage across Hollywood and the public.
Actress Jane Fonda called attention to the HFPA panel when she made her speech during the Golden Globes broadcast by saying Hollywood has been afraid to tackle its diversity problem.
“We are a community of storytellers, but there’s a story we’ve been afraid to see and hear about ourselves in this industry. A story about which voices we respect and elevate and which we tune out. A story about who’s kept out of the rooms where decisions are made,” Fonda said during the broadcast.
Fonda continued by saying Hollywood needs to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
The vice-president of the HFPA, Helen Hoehne, also made a statement during the Golden Globes to address the controversy surrounding the HFPA’s panel.
“We recognize we have our own work to do. Just like in film and television, black representation is vital. We must have Black journalists in our organization,” Hoehne said.
If it was so “vital,” why didn’t the HFPA hire a Black member last summer when they had the chance?
In an article published by the Los Angeles Times, it was revealed that the then-president of the HFPA proposed a vote to hire a black diversity consultant. HFPA members voted against it and now they are most likely regretting that decision.
Dan Levy, best known for his role as David in “Schitt’s Creek,” spoke out against the HFPA panel as well. After winning two awards for Schitt’s Creek, Levy used his platform to address and call attention to the need for diversity in the industry.
Accord to an article published by Gay Times magazine, Levy stated, “In the spirit of inclusion, I hope this time next year this ceremony reflects the true breadth and diversity of film and television being made today, because there is so much more to be celebrated.”
The truth is the HFPA only made this statement because their lack of diversity was exposed to the rest of the world. If they truly believed what they were saying, then the HFPA would have already had Black members on their staff. They wouldn’t have to be pressured into doing so.
It’s now clear that if the HFPA hires a Black member, it will be due to the backlash they have faced. The HFPA have had plenty of time to avoid making a spectacle of themselves and have refused to fix the situation before they got called out for it.
For the sake of representing the diversity of Hollywood, the HPFA needs to rectify this situation and get with the times. In 2021, a situation like this is no longer acceptable and should be resolved soon.
