Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘Emily in Paris’ creators flew Golden Globes judges to Paris to visit set year before shock nominations, report says

‘They treated us like kings and queens’, one Hollywood Foreign Press Association member says of the trip

Danielle Zoellner
New York
Monday 22 February 2021 01:26 GMT
Comments
Emily in Paris is renewed for a second season

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Emily in Paris creators flew journalists who judge the Golden Globes to France and paid for $1,400 per night hotel rooms so they could visit the show's set during filming, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

An investigation by the newspaper detailed alleged "ethical conflicts" and a "culture of corruption" displayed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of 87 international journalists who vote on the annual Golden Globes Awards for the television and film industry.

One part of the investigation looked at the "widespread perception that members can still be wheedled and swayed with special attention” when it comes to award nominations.

In 2019, 30 members of the HFPA were treated to "a two-night stay at the five-star Peninsula Paris hotel, where rooms currently start at about $1,400 a night, and a news conference and lunch at the Musée des Arts Forains, a private museum filled with amusement rides dating to 1850 where the show was shooting," according to the newspaper.

“They treated us like kings and queens," one HFPA member said when describing the trip.

Emily in Paris was launched on Netflix in 2020, but it was originally intended for Paramount Pictures. When the show aired, it received large attention from Netflix users and garnered high views. But critics' scores of the show were lukewarm.

The series picked up two Golden Globe nominations: best comedy or musical series and best actress in a comedy or musical for Lily Collins’ performance.

These nominations surprised members of the television industry, including a staff writer for Emily in Paris who released an op-ed about the situation. Deborah Copaken admitted she was shocked a show about "a white American selling luxury whiteness" was nominated for a Golden Globe while HBO's limited series I May Destroy You was snubbed by the association.

"I May Destroy You was not only my favorite show of 2020. It's my favorite show ever. It takes the complicated issue of a rape – I'm a sexual assault survivor myself – and infuses it with heart, humor, pathos and a story constructed so well, I had to watch it twice, just to understand how [director and screenwriter Michaela] Coel did it,” Ms Copken wrote in the op-ed.

The writer still admitted to being excited for the nomination, as she has never been "remotely close to seeing a Golden Globe statue up close, let alone being nominated for one." But her excitement waned after the apparent snub of I May Destroy You, which has a 98 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

One HFPA member, who did not attend the press junket in Paris, admitted the situation did show how the association needed to change.

"There was a real backlash and rightly so – that show doesn't belong on any best of 2020 list," the member told the Los Angeles Times. "It's an example of why many of us say we need change. If we continue to do this, we invite criticism and derision."

The investigation comes after a Norweigan entertainment journalist's antitrust lawsuit against the HFPA, which involved accusations of the association promoting "culture of corruption" after she was denied a membership, was thrown out by a judge in November.

 “None of these allegations has ever been proven in court or in any investigation, [and they] simply repeat old tropes about the HFPA and reflect unconscious bias against the HFPA’s diverse membership,” an HFPA representative told the Los Angeles Times in response to their questions.

And on fears that members may be “bullied” for speaking out, they replied: “The HFPA obviously does not condone bullying or retaliation by members.”

The HFPA has not returned a request for comment by The Independent.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in