The 78^th Golden Globes took place Sunday, Feb. 28 and boy oh boy were they rough. Even hosting veterans Amy Poehler and Tina Fey seemed to be uninterested and even embarrassed by the ceremony. What essentially took place was a three-hour Zoom meeting hosted from two different locations, with Fey in New York City and Poehler in Los Angeles. The energy was weird, uncomfortable and even tense. Fey put it eloquently in her opening monologue by asking and answering the rhetorical question, “Could this whole night have been an email? Yes.”

I have always loved watching awards shows, but I found myself checking my watch constantly wondering when this night would end. With less than 7 million viewers, it seemed I was not alone in my indifference. For me, the epitome of the whole evening was watching an unshaved Jason Sudeikis in a hoodie give a rambled, unprepared acceptance speech while Olivia Wilde giggled unseen in the background. There was even a point where Catherine O’Hara and her husband Bo Welch were shown over zoom, heads down, on their phones. Clearly there was somewhere else we’d all rather be.

The Bright Side

Regardless of the overall awkwardness, the Golden Globes still had some touching moments and well-deserved awards. Aforementioned Catherine O’Hara took home Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy for her hilarious portrayal of Moira Rose on the smash series “Schitt’s Creek.” This Canadian sitcom also took home the Golden Globe for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, which was accepted by creator Dan Levy (who looked absolutely spectacular in his yellow turtleneck and suit).

Anya Taylor-Joy was rightly awarded Best Actress — Television Motion Picture for her role as Beth Harmon in the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit.” Her performance was phenomenal, and I was glad to see her receive the recognition she deserves. I was also glad to see that Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” won Best Picture — Foreign Language. With his adorable daughter hanging off his neck, Chung’s tender speech about the language of love was one of the sweet points of the event.

I was personally most excited about the attention Chloé Zhao received for her film “Nomadland.” She was awarded not only Best Director Motion Picture but Best Picture Drama as well. I am ecstatic to see such a brilliant film and talented individual receive such accolades early in her career.

Maybe the most touching moment of the whole evening was Chadwick Boseman’s posthumous win of the illustrious Best Actor — Motion Picture Drama award for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Boseman’s wife Taylor Simone Ledward tearfully accepted this award on his behalf. In her speech she reminded us to take each moment we can to celebrate those we love.

Overall, the 2021 Golden Globes were a disappointing reminder that the world we currently live in is pretty messy. It made me miss the days where we could get together in the cinema to enjoy films, or just get together in general. If you missed this ceremony, you didn’t miss much. Let’s see if the Oscars can do any better in April.

The full list of winners can be viewed here.

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