UPDATED wit GLAAD & Jennifer Aniston statements, 11:35 AM: After scores of A-listers have scorched the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its lack of a single Black member, the Directors Guild of America and GLAAD has added their considerable collective voice to the call for change.
In a posting on the DGA’s Facebook page last night, the Thomas Schlamme-led union used similar language to what the likes of Kerry Washington, JJ Abrams, Jurnee Smollett, Jenifer Aniston, Damon Lindelof, and Shonda Rhimes had on their own postings about the 87-member group that puts on the Golden Globes. However, the 18,000 members strong DGA, which counts Steven Spielberg and Oz Scott among its Board, had more to say, in some of the strongest terminology yet: “When whole cultures are shut out of the conversation, their art and their voices are shut out as well.”
Taking to social media also later Sunday, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a salvo of solidarity against the lack of Black representation among the HFPA’s ranks
“GLAAD stands in solidarity with Time’s Up, Color of Change, and all who are calling on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to do better, in light of the recent news about not having any Black members for the Golden Globes in decades. Though data for LGBTQ members of the HFPA has not been released, we encourage and implore the HFPA to address these loud calls for change in an intersectional way by including LGBTQ and other diverse communities. Representation matters. Accountability matters. Moving forward, the HFPA must make substantial and transparent changes to ensure that all diverse voices are represented and celebrated amongst its membership and nominees.”
Also today, past Golden Globe winner Jennifer Aniston took to social media herself with the #TimesUpGlobes hashtag:
Facing a collation of top talent and now one of the town’s most powerful Guilds and advocacy groups , the HFPA has promised it will “address this in our show on Sunday” – the last day of Black History Month 2021. Whether that will be a case of mere words or action on tonight’s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-hosted and NBC broadcast Globes remains to be seen. Stay tuned.
1st UPDATE, Feb 26 10:11 PM: Battered again today by some of the biggest names in Hollywood for its stupefying lack of Black members, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association tonight responded by repeating a previous pledge to do more and to do it in public at the Golden Globes this weekend.
“We released this statement from the HFPA earlier, and are committed to change,” the Globes said on their Instagram account after a coalition of Ava DuVernay, JJ Abrams, Shonda Rhimes, Olivia Wilde, Courtney Kemp, Kerry Washington, Damon Lindelof Sterling K Brown and many more castigated the secretive 87-member organization for its lack of diversity. “We will also address this in our show on Sunday,” the posting succinctly added offering no details.
With a hybrid show of live and virtual presenters and nominees, the 78th annual Golden Globes is co-hosted by Tina Fey on the East Coast and Amy Poehler on the West Coast. The ceremony airs live on NBC at 8 PM ET/5 PM PST.
PREVIOUSLY, 6:42 PM: With the Golden Globes just about here, Twitter erupted with shock and dismay Friday that the ceremony’s founding organization, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has no Black members and hasn’t for the past 20 years.
After the weak acknowledgement of the problem put out yesterday by the HFPA, the reality of the situation did not sit well with Ava DuVernay, past Globes winner Sterling K. Brown, Judd Apatow, JJ Abrams, Shonda Rhimes, Chris Hemsworth, Lovecraft Country‘s Jurnee Smollett, Olivia Wilde, Courtney Kemp, Patton Oswalt and dozens of others who weighed in on social media to express displeasure, throwing major shade on social media.
“A cosmetic fix isn’t enough,” Rhimes, Kerry Washington, and Alyssa Milano tweeted as they and others layered their discontent atop an image of a cracked award and the descriptions of the problem: “Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Not a Single Black Member Out Of 87.”
“Old news. New energy,” tweeted filmmaker and activist DuVernay, who was the first Black woman nominated as best director by HFPA in 2015.
Old news. New energy. #TimesUpGlobes pic.twitter.com/AzJhTA42W8
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 26, 2021
Star Wars helmer and past Emmy winner Abrams was concise also, but no less blunt:
As was Power kingpin Courtney Kemp:
Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo surgically put the spotlight on the HFPA soft underbelly and vulnerabilities:
They are so used to getting their asses kissed because people want trophies …but looks like your #timesup Why do we need them? Oh that’s right we don’t 😜 pic.twitter.com/pdOS9WpW8s
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) February 27, 2021
The HFPA composition does seem insanely out out step given the increasing focus on diversity in Hollywood and across the country that was accelerated by protests over the summer after the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
“So many crazy things about the Golden Globes and the Hollywood Foreign Press, but this is awful,” said Apatow.
“What price HFPA?” asked Ellen Barkin.
See some of the other reactions below.
That only 87 people get to vote on the Golden Globes in the first place, evidences how fcking meaningless and trash the entire #GoldenGlobes is. And then, to be virtually devoid of POC, #TimesUpGlobes https://t.co/EplZ8JeMvG
— mondogarage (@mondogarage) February 27, 2021
So many crazy things about the @goldenglobes and the Hollywood Foreign press but this is awful. #timesupglobes pic.twitter.com/C5PYs5zFRr
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) February 26, 2021
A cosmetic fix isn’t enough #TimesUpGlobes #TimesUp https://t.co/9S45FNQVzz
— jurnee smollett (@jurneesmollett) February 26, 2021
I support and congratulate all the nominees, but the HFPA needs to change in meaningful ways. Cosmetic fixes are not enough. #TimesUpGlobes
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) February 27, 2021
How far have we come, you ask? Not far enough. A cosmetic fix isn’t enough. #TIMESUPGlobes #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/cVpeqk1ofX
— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) February 26, 2021
A cosmetic fix isn’t enough. #TIMESUPGlobes #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/q8uG2gqIvk
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 26, 2021
A cosmetic fix isn't enough. #TimesUpGlobes #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/9iwnVSNHOp
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) February 27, 2021
A cosmetic fix isn’t enough. #TIMESUPGlobes #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/hjebfXIRFU
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) February 26, 2021
Everyone needs a voice!#timesupglobes https://t.co/6dKelnh67M
— Mike Jackson (@mikejackson) February 27, 2021
Our voices have run hoarse from YEARS of speaking out against the "zero to none" behind closed doors ratio across #Hollywood.
"0" Black folx out of 87 #HFPA
For TWENTY straight years "0".
Now go back & review 20years worth of nominations & wins.
Any questions?! #TimesUpGlobes pic.twitter.com/fPYL5xz2dZ— Crown Vic (@VictoriaMahoney) February 27, 2021
The 78th annual Golden Globes airs on NBC on February 28.
Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.
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