The 74th Golden Globes Ceremony

Yes, I know, the ceremony was 3 whole days ago, but I was super busy finishing up putting together my 2016 coffee table photo book, and only now do I have the time to take a breath!

Anyway, I thought the ceremony was really nice. Funny, touching, and fast paced, perhaps even too much so, given how many speeches were cut short... including the one for one of the top two prizes of the night (Best Comedy or Musical)!!!!

Here are a few random thoughts about it:

• Jimmy Fallon did a nice job with his opening monologue, but then practically disappeared. It felt like he played it really safe, like he didn't want to offend anyone in the industry. He really only went after O.J. Simpson, who is the easiest target there is.
• I noticed that over-tanning is unfortunately still fashionable in Hollywood, with both Ryan Reynolds and Thandie Newton falling victims to it.
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson's win for Nocturnal Animals was the night's first surprise, but to me hearing his lovely accent was even more so!
• I was super happy that Sarah Paulson won for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. She had previously won an Emmy for the same role, so a Golden Globe is the perfect bookend.
• The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story also won for the Best Limited Series, and the coolest part was hearing the woman on stage thank "her wife" with total nonchalance.
• I don't watch Black-ish, but I think Tracee Ellis Ross' win was great for diversity, even though she beat my beloved Julia Louis-Dreyfus...
• Hugh Laurie's win for The Night Manager was another surprise, but from what followed later on it's clear that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association really LOVED the show, since all its actors won in their categories (though the show itself didn't).
• Super happy for Viola Davis' win as well. Is this the year she takes home the Oscar as well?
• Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn's bit on stage was one for the ages. I was doubled over. It was followed soon after by another very funny skit, with Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell. I can't believe they were able to keep a straight face!!
• One of the producers of Zootopia, again with total nonchalance, thanked "his husband of 28 years!!"
• Ryan Gosling's speech was nice and touching, especially for his late brother-in-law.
• Can't wait to see how La La Land does at the Oscars next month, given the clean sweep it did at the Globes. It won a record 7 statuettes for Film, Actor, Actress, Director, Screenplay, Score, and Song (though the last two would have been a minimum given that this is a musical, wouldn't it?).
• Was there a hotter couple of presenters than Chris Hemsworth and Gal Gadot? No. There wasn't.
• When it was time to award the Best TV Show Drama, I obviously was rooting for Game of Thrones, but when I heard Westworld I realized they'd have split the vote, and The Crown (given the topic and the foreign pedigree) would be a shoo-in. It was. I really should watch it. I'm sure I'd love it.
• Viola Davis' introduction of Meryl Streep for her Honorary Award was lovely and obviously Meryl delivered the best speech of the night. She said everything that needed to be said, with the right amount of emphasis and verve. She's magnificent. A real national treasure.
• As much as I'm glad for what it meant for diversity, I was totally bummed when Atlanta won Best TV Show Comedy and Best Actor, because I really wanted Jeffrey Tambor and Transparent to win, or Veep. Oh well.
• Loved how Matt Damon took one last chance to needle the HFPA about putting his dramatic role in the dramatic The Martian in the Comedy categories last year, just so they could make them both win.
• I'm not sure why, but I find it really cool that Casey Affleck is being recognized for his talent (in spite of what looked like all of his efforts). I think Ben Affleck is really talented too, even though his work can be really uneven, so I find it cool that talent runs in the family.
• Loved how awestruck Isabelle Huppert was when she won Best Lead Actress Drama for Elle. It's really nice when foreign films and the people who make them are recognized at such high levels (even though these aren't the Oscars of course...).
• Finally, I can't wait to see Moonlight. It must be a great movie and I'm glad it won Best Drama, especially because of the story it tells and the African-American pedigree (and the fact that it's such a small, independently made movie).

Ok, that's it, sorry it took so long to get this out. Hope you enjoyed the ceremony as much as I did.