Lessons From the Golden Globes

The 2012 awards season kicked off last night with the 69th Golden Globes and what better way to spend an inhumanly cold January Sunday night than at home in blankets with a nice glass of merlot. In general, perhaps we just weren’t as into it this year, but we found the awards rather uneventful. Besides the copious amount of eye candy, conversation-inspiring fashion and gossip (can you believe George and Stacey are still together?!), we began to question what, if any, young professional lessons could be learned from our friends in Hollywood.

And the winners are…..

Be smart and strategic with alcohol consumption: Ricky Gervais exclaimed that “it’s so good having a job where you can get drunk and say what you want, and they still pay you.” But if he did in fact have a buzz going on, he seemed to conceal it very well as did his Hollywood counterparts. The stars were all on their best behaviour last night as they mingled with their peers and saved the major drinking for the after parties. We must admit, it made for a rather dull show compared to previous years, but we were impressed with the behaviour of our favourite celebs; any young professional knows that there is a time and a place to consume too many cocktails and to be strategic with this.

It is better to be compared to Kate Middleton to Kim Kardashian? Gervais explained the difference between the Oscars and the Globes as “What Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. What? Bit louder, bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought.” Always polished, composed and acutely aware of her surroundings, Middleton provides a better example of what YPs should aspire to be than a more crass Kim Kardashian.

Be careful with the spray tan. Twitter was a buzz with comments on a very orange-looking Rob Lowe; and Elle Macpherson (although looking every bit the bombshell she once was) looked like she got carried away with her own line of spray tans. 

We have a shelf life past 35 if we work hard at it. Case in point: a 74-year-old Jane Fonda who blew our minds in a figure-hugging George Hobeika dress with a body that could rival that of a 20-something-year-old’s that even had George Clooney talking.

Rail thin is so over. Angelina Jolie, typically a favourite of ours, looked scary skinny while presenting on stage. Her arms looked like they could snap in half and actually distracted from the beauty of her face (we didn’t think it was possible either). The good news is that we didn’t see a lot of this trend this year, as most of Hollywood’s leading ladies looked healthy, toned and curvier than they had at awards shows past. Mila Kunis rocked a fuller figure and has never looked better, in our opinion.

Love your job. “Do what you love, you will never work a day in your life” – Morgan Freeman. We couldn’t agree more. Many YPs may get stuck in jobs that pay the bills and offer stability but are just that – work. YPs should consider professions that reflect their passions, or find a way to make their jobs not seem like work. 

Careers may experience highs and lows, but the strong survive and bounce back from set back. We made fun of Matt LeBlanc for Joey and now he’s the winner of the award for best actor in a TV comedy for Episodes, playing a fictional version of himself after his Friends hay day, his failed and much criticized spin-off and a 4-year absence from TV.

Even the most seasoned professionals make mistakes. When Hollywood vet Meryl Streep won a record-setting eighth Golden Globe for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, she swore on stage when she realized that she had forgotten her glasses and she would not be able to read her speech.

Your peers recognize and respect your successes in other aspects of your life, not just in your professional career. A very handsome Clooney gave a shout out to friend Brad Pitt while on stage, recognizing his work as an actor, but more importantly, all the philanthropic work he does in the world.

Do not let work consume your life. Family, friends and health are just as important as a thriving professional career. We loved how Michelle Williams first and foremost recognized herself as a mother before an actress, thanking her daughter for inspiration and giving her something to look forward to see at the end of the day. 

Award Winners:

Best Supporting Actor in a motion picture: Christopher Plummer “The Beginners.”
Best Actress in a TV series or comedy: Laura Dern
Best Mini-Series or TV movie: Downtown Abby
Best Actress Mini Series or TV movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Best Actor TV Series or Drama: Kelsey Grammar
Best TV Series/Drama: Homeland
Best Original Score- Motion Picture: Ludovic Bource
Best Original Song in Motion Picture:  Masterpiece by Madonna
Actor Mini-Series or TV Movie: Idris Elba, “Luther”
Actress Motion Picture Comedy or Musical: Michelle Williams
Best Supporting Actor TV Series, TV Movie:  Peter Dicklage
Best Animated Feature: Adventures of Tin Tin
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Lang
Best Actress in a TV series drama: Claire Danes
Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series: Matt LeBlanc
Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Director Motion Picture: Martin Scorcese
Best Actress Motion Picture: Meryl Streep
Best Actor Motion Picture: George Clooney