The Golden Globes are frequently cited by news outlets and people who don't really know what they're talking about as "one of the precursors to the Oscars", but really, it's a vastly inferior accolade to an Academy Award and has little bearing on it for several reasons. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the enigmatic committee that decides the Golden Globes, consists of less than 100 foreign journalists living in California, a relatively obscure group of people when we consider that AMPAS - the actors, directors and crew members who decide the Oscars - has over 5000 members. So, why should we care what the HPFA thinks, especially when they've shown time and time again that they'll nominate anything if it means they can schmooze with the actors involved; who can forget The Tourist infamously being nominated in several categories two years ago? Though this year didn't have any outrageously egregious nominations (though Nicole Kidman for The Paperboy was pushing it), the winners list still proved as baffling as ever, even if they had the good sense to give Ben Affleck a Best Director win after his being snubbed by the Oscar nominations last week. Here are 10 things the Golden Globes got wrong.
10. Brave Wins Best Animated Film
One has to put this down to the HPFA simply being infatuated with Pixar and maybe not being so much into video games, because it's difficult to imagine how anyone could see Brave as a superior film to the likes of Frankenweenie and specifically Wreck-It Ralph. It wasn't exactly a banner year for animation, but there were still plenty of films that far outdid Pixar's effort - and incredulously, Paranorman wasn't even nominated... - and it's all the more shocking when one considers that Brave wasn't even full of household names, whereas Wreck-It Ralph in particular had the likes of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Jane Lynch giving spirited vocal performances. Given Pixar's respect in the industry, it just goes to show that you can't ever count them out completely.