African Americans are ready for their Golden Globe close-up, Mr. DeMille
Apparently, our friends from abroad in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association don't appreciate the sensitivity of America's Martin Luther King Jr. Day. By choosing that day of all days to bestow the next Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, many observers have believed that they might finally pick an African American to receive their honorary prize saluting outstanding achievement in the entertainment industry. It's been more than 20 years since a nonwhite has been the recipient; Sidney Poitier (1981) remains the only African American to claim the prize in its 53-year history. Instead, this year's honor went to another white film actor over age 50, like it usually does, and has for the past five years.
The new awardee will be Anthony Hopkins, who is certainly a worthy choice, considering he's one of the world's greatest actors. He has been nominated six times for Globes, but never won. But Hopkins looks an awful lot like other recent champs: Robin Williams, Michael Douglas, Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford and Al Pacino, who have all won Globes in the past, but are otherwise all older white male icons of the movie biz.
Many Globe-watchers expected Morgan Freeman to get the honor this year. He won the Oscar last year for "Million Dollar Baby," but failed to nab the Globe. And considering how slighted women have been in this category (only 12 have won in 53 years), Whoopi Goldberg was also considered a likely choice. Heck, TV stars are really snubbed. Why not Oprah Winfrey?
Surely the snubs aren't a case of racial prejudice. Freeman won a Globe for "Driving Miss Daisy" and Goldberg for "The Color Purple." Both lost at the Oscars. They had to wait years more before they were finally hailed by the academy for other roles. In general, the Globes have been very welcoming to black artists in competitive categories. "Members of the HFPA are color blind because they're people of many colors themselves," says a source familiar with the group. "They're just not thinking these decisions through carefully. Once they did choose another older white man, it did occur to the Board of Directors that they'll be giving him the award on Martin Luther King Day, but NBC had picked January 16th for the ceremony, so they were stuck with it."
Maybe many honorary Hollywood awards are just on a British kick right now. "Considering the Globes went for Anthony Hopkins and the American Film Institute for Sean Connery, I'm wondering if the Oscars won't go for Albert Finney," says Chris Beachum, our forums moderator, better known as "Boomer." Finney would make sense since the five-time Oscar nominee has never won.
Boomer recently led a lively discussion of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, including early speculation (Carol Burnett? Great idea!) and post-announcement reactions. Read more in the message boards.
