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Netflix has threatened not to participate in the Golden Globes until the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) “makes meaningful changes” in terms of diversity and inclusion.
As reported by Deadline Hollywood, one of Netflix’s CEOs, Ted Sarandos, has written to the HFPA saying, “we’re stopping any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made.”
The letter with Netflix’s threats and demands came a few days after the HFPA —which organizes the Golden Globes— voted in favor of a reform and inclusion proposal, whereby the association pledged to —among other things— increase its black membership.
The vote also empowered the association to hire a Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to implement woke policies.
Although the HFPA bowed to criticism, and overwhelmingly approved this reform, it seems that for representatives of the woke culture it has not been enough and they doubt that their commitment is genuine.
In that sense, Netflix has set itself up as a representative of the industry and woke culture saying in Sarandos’ letter, “Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change.”
Netflix admitted that “today’s vote is an important first step,” but it also states that “we don’t believe these proposed new policies — particularly around the size and speed of membership growth— will tackle the HFPA’s systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate.”
So finally Netflix announced that they are going to “halt any activity with the HFPA until more meaningful changes are made.”
“We know that you have many well-intentioned members who want real change — and that all of us have more work to do to create an equitable and inclusive industry. But Netflix and many of the talent and creators we work with cannot ignore the HFPA’s collective failure to address these crucial issues with urgency and rigor,” Sarandos concluded in his demand-filled letter.
NBC, which televises the Golden Globes gala, has also pressed the association to adopt the changes demanded by the progressive woke. After all, Netflix has become one of the main producers, its content has been the most awarded in the last editions of the Golden Globes.
Aside from these pressures from Netflix and NBC, the HFPA has been criticized by the National Association of Black Journalists, and some 100 PR firms around the world have publicly stated that they will refrain from participating in any HFPA events until there is a commitment to reform.
The HFPA has responded to Netflix saying they have “heard concerns about the changes our association needs to make and we want to assure you that we are working diligently on all of them.”
Making Golden Globes likt the Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscar Awards, already gave in to these political pressures a few years ago, and committed to affirmative action quotas in the requirements to compete for the statuette in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and people with “different abilities.”
It is very likely that these concessions to the demands of the woke culture have negatively influenced Oscar audiences. In fact, the last Oscars ceremony had the worst viewership in its history. Likewise, other ceremonies that have caved in to criticism from the woke horde, such as the Grammy Awards, have reaped the same failure.
Now Netflix seems to want the Golden Globes to suffer the same fate. It is possible that the words of Ricky Gervais, host of some of the last Golden Globes ceremonies, have put his finger on the sore spot.
Ricky Gervais took repeated opportunities given to him by the HFPA when hosting the Golden Globes to expose Hollywood’s hypocrisy and political agenda.
This maneuver by Netflix, and other similar moves by giants like Disney, once again confirms the ideological bias of the big production companies that, behind the appearance of woke goodwill, hide a clear leftist political agenda.
Ignacio Manuel García Medina, Business Management teacher. Artist and lecturer specialized in Popular Culture for various platforms. Presenter of the program "Pop Libertario" for the Juan de Mariana Institute. Lives in the Canary Islands, Spain // Ignacio M. García Medina es profesor de Gestión de Empresas. Es miembro del Instituto Juan de Mariana y conferenciante especializado en Cultura Popular e ideas de la Libertad.
Social Networks: @ignaciomgm