Golden Globes ceremony set a "warm" tone in trying to avoid controversy

The New York Times

Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg were the perfect hosts for a ceremony that didn't want any trouble, says James Poniewozik. "The awards aside — and you should always set the perplexing Golden Globe Awards choices aside — this year’s Globes were a test case for what works at an awards show these days," he says. "Having tried running politically hot and sardonically cold, this year it wondered if warm might be just right. Sometimes it was cozy, sometimes just tepid." Carol Burnett brought sweetness as the first-ever recipient of the lifetime TV achievement award, which was named after her. And Jeff Bridges, known best for playing the Dude in The Big Lebowski, was the perfect recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille award. "The Globes, which often teeters on the edge of tipsy chaos, seemed Sunday night to be coasting on a mellow, it’s-all-good buzz. It was pleasant enough, though numbing the longer it went on," says Poniewozik. "Though as those who partook more fully of the spirit of the Dude might say: That’s just, like, my opinion, man."

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