That the Critics' Choice Awards went on as planned really threw the Hollywood media for a loop today. I'm backstage now with the befuddled journos. Many of them just threw on dress-up duds at the last sec to get here. A rumor had spread on Friday that SAG was asking celebs to boycott the show even though its telecast doesn't technically fall under the domain of the Writers Guild of America. The Critics Choice TV production company isn't a guild signatory. But the group's chiefs did their best all day today to dispel that misinformation and get everybody en route to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Many people were further confused by the kudos plans of the similarly titled People's Choice Awards, which scrapped its regular show on CBS for one that includes lots of pre-taped segments. It doesn't require the live presence of celebs. But no, no, no — these are the Critics' Choice Awards! Not the People's Choice. They're bestowed by members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and their awards show is being telecast by VH1 tonight for the first time ever.

Now throw in today's late-breaking news that the Golden Globes show will not go on as usual. Instead, it'll be a combo press conference / taped show on NBC. Most celebs won't be attending. So, wait — why, again, is the Critics' Choice show going on tonight, looking very much like the Golden Globes, by the way. The Hollywood elite is all here — Brangenlina, Sean Penn, Daniel Day-Lewis, George Clooney, etc. — and they're sitting at banquet tables much like they do at the Beverly Hilton when they're guzzling bubbly at the Globes bash.