Golden Globes Lobbying
CliffB
Lobbying for Golden Globes Is a Hollywood Ritual
By SHARON WAXMAN
NY Times
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 ‹ Three days before the close of voting on the Golden
Globe nominations last month, the phone rang at the home of a member of the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the people who vote on the awards.
"This is Harvey Weinstein," said the voice on the other end of the line, the
member said. "I'm calling about `Bad Santa.' "
The member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the caller, who was
the co-executive producer of that film and the Miramax co-chairman, "Mr.
Weinstein, I loved the movie."
"Oh," came the reply, then a click.
Mr. Weinstein was not the only one to call many of the association's 90
members about a movie he hoped to see rewarded with a statue. Jim Sheridan,
director of the Fox Searchlight drama "In America," called many voters to
urge them to see his movie, too.
Spokeswomen for both men confirmed that the calls were made.
Calling members is not against the association's new guidelines, but they do
bar providing gifts to members or soliciting "members' opinions about
films." Still, careful stroking of the Foreign Press Association is
customary in Hollywood, where pieces of the entertainment industry machine ‹
from movie stars to studio executives to agents to NBC ‹ work together in
validating the Golden Globe Awards.
The Golden Globes, which will be broadcast on NBC on Jan. 25, are are a
national ritual watched by some 20 million Americans every year. But few
here view them as anything but an effective marketing tool.
While it may not have been a big gift, just last week Sony Pictures
Entertainment sent every member a steaming, warm apple pie to remind them of
its movie "Big Fish."
A Miramax spokeswoman, Amanda Lundberg, said Mr. Weinstein did not call the
Golden Globe voters to ask them their opinion." She said that since studios
could not send cassette copies of their films, called screeners, until late
in December, he was "confirming their receipt of late-arriving cassettes,
which in our case was `Bad Santa.' If members told him what they thought of
the movie, he didn't ask for it. It was an unsolicited comment."
Breena Camden, Fox Searchlight's executive vice president for publicity,
said that Mr. Sheridan called members to give them screening information
because the studios were barred from sending screeners.
"We're very aware that we're not allowed to ask what opinions are of the
film," Ms. Camden said. "We did everything in our power to get every single
member to see the film."
The association's president, Lorenzo Soria, said the calls were not against
the rules, but "when it came to my knowledge that the calls were made, I
asked them to stop, and they did."
Hollywood goes to great lengths to win the favor of voters on the Golden
Globes.
For the studios, these awards are an essential marketing tool for the Oscars
that follow, this year on Feb. 29. Movies that win Oscars frequently go on
to earn millions more at the box office and garner higher DVD sales and fees
from cable and television deals.
For NBC the show is a reliable ratings bonanza, the third most watched
awards telecast of the year, after the Oscars and the Grammys. Last year's
United States audience of 20 million was a decline from 23.4 million the
year before, mostly because of competition from an American Football
Conference championship on CBS. NBC is in the middle of a 10-year contract
with the association for the show, which is produced by Dick Clark,
reportedly for $30 million, although Mr. Soria said that figure was too low
but refused to provide another one.
Asked to respond to questions about the association and its awards, an NBC
spokeswoman declined to comment.
What is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association? Though the group claims to
represent the world media that connect Hollywood to its vast international
audience, few of the world's most prominent publications are members.
Correspondents for Le Monde, The Times of London and Yomiuri Shimbun are not
members.
Some major publications, like the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the
German magazine Stern are represented, but the association has repeatedly
rejected applications from prominent foreign publications while accepting
freelancers for small publications in Bangladesh and South Korea. Members
need write only four articles a year to maintain active membership. The
group accepts a maximum of five new members a year, and each member must be
accepted unanimously. Last year three members of the association died, but
it accepted only one new member, Margaret Gardiner, who writes for South
African publications.
By contrast, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which
conducts the Academy Awards, has 5,806 voting members, though it, too, has
come under criticism in recent years for allowing campaigning for Oscars.
Mr. Soria said there was an internal debate over opening his organization to
a wider membership. "Personally, I would like to see the number of our
members increase," he said. "I'm also aware that there is a limit to how
much we can increase, because the main perk we have are press conferences.
You cannot have a press conference with 200 journalists. Some of our members
have a hard time making a living as journalists. There are competition
issues."
The Globe Awards have been criticized for many years. Many in the movie
business acknowledge their part in helping the association put on a
star-studded annual event to satisfy complicated agendas, movie star egos
and enhance their bottom lines.
One chairman of a major Hollywood studio, who demanded anonymity, said the
association was treated hypocritically by the studios, who know the real
nature of the group.
There is little question that members of the association would get little
attention if they did not have the Golden Globes. During awards season the
rumor mill buzzes with anecdotes of the members' behavior.
Last year the actor Brendan Fraser demanded and received a written apology
from both the association and from a longtime member, Philip Berk, after Mr.
Berk grabbed Mr. Fraser's buttocks after a ceremony at which the actor
announced the group's annual charitable donation.
Another member, Frances Schoenberger, was suspended after she flung wine in
the face of another member who had annoyed her at a party for"Gangs of New
York," as Mr. Weinstein and the director Martin Scorsese stood by.
But because of the Globes, the group's members are showered with attention
and gifts, dinners and special outings. They are granted access to stars and
have news conferences with the director or leading actor for every film. At
those events the actors pose for individual photos with every member of the
association who wants one.
Not all actors submit to the process. This year Sean Penn declined to grant
news conferences despite his performances in "Mystic River" and "21 Grams."
His publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said by way of explanation: "It was a decision
we made together."
In recent years there have been attempts to lend greater legitimacy to the
group. The association adopted a rule that movie stars could not sign
autographs for members at the press conference; instead, the autographs
would have to be requested by mail.
This year Mr. Soria issued new guidelines barring special receptions in
honor of the group, live performances by musicians up for awards (in the
past Sting performed at a news conference); gifts "other than regular
promotional items distributed to other journalists"; and "solicitation of
H.F.P.A. members' opinions about films, television programs and/or
performances."
But stopping the lavish gift baskets sent by studios to members hardly stems
the perks that come their way. Members are still served dinner at nearly
every screening set up for them at the studios. This year they got "In
America" ice cream dishes and a red cotton blanket for "Seabiscuit."
GossipDiva72
> January 13, 2004
>
> Lobbying for Golden Globes Is a Hollywood Ritual
> By SHARON WAXMAN
> NY Times
> Last year the actor Brendan Fraser demanded and received a written apology
> from both the association and from a longtime member, Philip Berk, after Mr.
> Berk grabbed Mr. Fraser's buttocks after a ceremony at which the actor
> announced the group's annual charitable donation.
this is why I need to get out and socialize more! Why, oh why can't I
join the HFPA and grab asses? Actually grabbing Brendan's ass is a
social no-no as one should ask first... it is the polite thing to do.
> Another member, Frances Schoenberger, was suspended after she flung wine in
> the face of another member who had annoyed her at a party for"Gangs of New
> York," as Mr. Weinstein and the director Martin Scorsese stood by.
If I flung wine at all of the people that annoyed me, I would have to
carry a bottle around with me...but then Harrison Ford would be
following me everywhere I went. Actually, if you are going to be
theatrical, it is good to have Scorcese as a witness- perhaps you can
get discovered...or maybe not as sometimes being a lush isn't very
pretty...
> But because of the Globes, the group's members are showered with attention
> and gifts, dinners and special outings. They are granted access to stars and
> have news conferences with the director or leading actor for every film. At
> those events the actors pose for individual photos with every member of the
> association who wants one.
so why in the hell can't I become a member???? I will write any swill
you want me to just so I can get to the ceremony. I want free stuff
and free meals. I would even sit at the Emmanuel Lewis/Mickey
Dolenz/Joey Heatherton table in the back of the room
> In recent years there have been attempts to lend greater legitimacy to the
> group. The association adopted a rule that movie stars could not sign
> autographs for members at the press conference; instead, the autographs
> would have to be requested by mail.
<sportle!> Great! My diet vanilla coke is now all over my monitor. I
would hope that the HFPA is a little more dignified than that. Right
now the article is making them sound like Jerry Lewis..."oh
ladeeeeeee!!! Can I pleeeeeeease have your autograaaaaaaaaph?" Thats
right, get your autographs like the rest of us peasants. Write those
letters and get cheap pre-prints back like the majority send out. Hee
hee.
> But stopping the lavish gift baskets sent by studios to members hardly stems
> the perks that come their way. Members are still served dinner at nearly
> every screening set up for them at the studios. This year they got "In
> America" ice cream dishes and a red cotton blanket for "Seabiscuit."
damn...I want some free junk to clutter up my house!!! Lord knows I've
thrown tons of it away but I could always use more!
The GossipDiva72
WFpicksfrui...@notthere.net
Who gives a fuck about the golden globes. Might's well lust after
Usenet.
>January 13, 2004
>
>Lobbying for Golden Globes Is a Hollywood Ritual
>By SHARON WAXMAN
>NY Times
>
>
>LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 ã Three days before the close of voting on the Golden
>Globe nominations last month, the phone rang at the home of a member of the
>Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the people who vote on the awards.
>
>"This is Harvey Weinstein," said the voice on the other end of the line, the
>member said. "I'm calling about `Bad Santa.' "
>
>The member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the caller, who was
>the co-executive producer of that film and the Miramax co-chairman, "Mr.
>Weinstein, I loved the movie."
>
>"Oh," came the reply, then a click.
>
>Mr. Weinstein was not the only one to call many of the association's 90
>members about a movie he hoped to see rewarded with a statue. Jim Sheridan,
>director of the Fox Searchlight drama "In America," called many voters to
>urge them to see his movie, too.
>
>Spokeswomen for both men confirmed that the calls were made.
>
>Calling members is not against the association's new guidelines, but they do
>bar providing gifts to members or soliciting "members' opinions about
>films." Still, careful stroking of the Foreign Press Association is
>customary in Hollywood, where pieces of the entertainment industry machine ã
>from movie stars to studio executives to agents to NBC ã work together in