An awards show at a crossroads

Hosts Sandra Oh, Andy Samberg may not get political

To misquote “A Star Is Born,” awards shows were far from shallow in 2018. Many confronted sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry head on, but as a new year kicks off with the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday one question lingers: Will it continue for another year?

For an event that’s more known for its boozy moments than promoting social causes, the Golden Globe Awards went all in as the first major show of the #Metoo era last year. It embraced the newly formed Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, the red carpet was overtaken by a symbolic sea of black dresses, major stars walked proudly alongside activist leaders, Oprah Winfrey gave a barn-burner of a speech about empowerment and Natalie Portman even got in a jab about the all-male directing nominees while presenting the best director award.

Every televised and nontelevised event to come had to take the stage in the shadow of the Globes, and all did so in their own way, sometimes with jokes and sometimes with statements: The Screen Actors Guild had all-female presenters, guests wore white roses at the Grammys and the Oscars gave a spotlight to Time’s Up leaders and Harvey Weinstein accusers Ashley Judd, Salma Hayek and Annabella Sciorra.

But this year will be different. With just days to show time, there are no major statements or demonstrations planned for the Golden Globes show or the red carpet, and it could very well set the tone for what’s to come with the other awards shows.

“This year, there’s no sense of urgency the way there was last year,” said Steve Pond, awards editor for The Wrap. “By the same token, there is a sense of ‘we can’t go back.’”

Subjects like equality and inclusiveness are now permanent fixtures of awards show discourse, Pond said, and their absence from topics discussed on stage would be “conspicuous.”

“But the business of everybody wearing black, I think that was kind of a one-time thing until something else that cataclysmic happens,” Pond said.

Hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh have said that they don’t necessarily intend to get political on Sunday night, but will leave the door open for anyone who wants to use their platform to do so. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Samberg said he thinks “people could use a little smile.”

“Not to ignore anything, but we spend so much time every day wallowing in a lot of things that are happening in our world that are really depressing, and with good reason — that stuff needs to be paid attention to — but there’s also power to being positive and celebratory in the tougher times as well,” Samberg said.