The Golden Globes

Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes was online Monday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss Sunday night's 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television as determined by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Read About It: Glitz and Glory and Photo Gallery.

A transcript follows.

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washingtonpost.com: Lisa will be along shortly, having tech troubles. Please stay with us. Thank you.

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Angry much?: Wow -- you win Emmys and Globes, and all you can think about is firing a shot across the bow at some anonymous posters? That was...awkward.

But kudos to Tracy Jor-Morgan for calling out Cate Blanchett.

Lisa de Moraes: Hi. Sorry for delay -- previous press tour session ran long. In Tina Fey's defense, she's had to give so many acceptance speeches lately, she's run out of material. Brilliant idea to have Tracy Morgan give the acceptance speech for best comedy series.. It was one of few highlights of the show which, sadly, has become more corporate and thank-the-agent-ish every year since it moved to NBC. This year was the worst...

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From your Friday chat: Lisa on Patrick Swayze -- "Babs "Cry Me a River" Walters is all about jerking the tears. Don't think he didn't know what he was getting into. Why do you think she was mean? Because she asked his wife if she had thought what life was going to be like after he's dead? I'm still mad she did not ask the A and E suit how the heck they got this show insured. He's clearly not going to make it to a third season..." Way past snarky Lisa. Cancer survivors are reading your column. My dad died of pancreatic cancer. It's ugly, sad and painful. The TV reporter should probably not be the one playing with the hope of the survivor and his or her family.

washingtonpost.com: On Swayze (TV Column, Jan. 10)

Lisa de Moraes: I have a friend who died of pancreatic cancer, you don't need to explain to me how horrible it is. But if you're going to cover the interview and the situation with the A and E show -- which is my job, you've got to cover it and I'm not duck issues or dance around things because the subject is sensitive to some.

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Mickey: I know Kate Winslet's blubbering on stage is going to get all the attention, but for me, I thought the most poignant moment was Mickey Rourke thanking his dogs, because they were all he had for awhile. I'll bet his fellow famous people, who need to believe they will be adored by the masses forever and ever and ever, hated it.

Lisa de Moraes: Mickey Rourke thanking his dogs was the best acceptance speech EVER...That and Morgan's speech saved this dreary trophy show...

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Arlington, Va.: What was with the hair? Drew Barrymore, Renee Zellweger, Laura Dern, Debra Messing...even Angelina has this wacko piece of hair sticking out that was driving me nuts! I mean, Brad couldn't have smoothed it down or something? Anyhoo, Tracy Morgan was the highlight of the night. Jeez -- they wound him up and let him go, huh?

Lisa de Moraes: It's the new look out here. It's called the Just Got Outta Bed Didn't Have Time To Comb My Hair look....

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Washington, D.C.: It should be required that Ricky Gervais do at least five minutes on stage at every awards show from now until forever. Period.

Lisa de Moraes: Hope Oscar and Emmy guys were watching and today begging Gervais to host both trophy shows. That holocaust gag was hilarious. Yes, now I've offended people who have loved ones who have had pancreatic cancer and holocaust victims. I'm on a roll...

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San Francisco, Calif.: What the heck was Ricky Gervais thinking re: "gag reel" joke/Holocaust movies

Lisa de Moraes: He was thinking funny. I laughed out loud. Send your outraged comments here...

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Easy, Killer: I thought Tina Fey was funny. Sasha Baron Cohen was the funniest, with Ricky Gervais second funniest.

I liked Debra Messing's dress, although her eye makeup was too much and her ponytail was lame.

Lisa de Moraes: Agree on all points, but you forgot that the 'thank my dogs" speech was the most poignant. Oh and what did you think of the obligatory Dead Man Standing Ovation to Heath and the "we just happened to have a clip reel from his "Dark Knight" role?

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Arlington, Va.: That Tina Fey poster is kidding right? He/she didn't get that the whole thing was you know, a joke? I'm sure Tina Fey is not spending her days trolling the Internet for comments from Barb in Madison.

Lisa de Moraes: Maybe that's why so few people are watching her show -- too many people don't get her humor...me, I loved it...

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I'm still mad she did not ask the A and E suit how the heck they got this show insured.: Yeah, Brooke Shields got fired for that on Lipstick Jungle -- her character faked a physical when she knew the actor had cancer (leave it to me to quote a cancelled show no one else watched).

Lisa de Moraes: And when the A and E suit was asked the question at the press tour, the answer was very simple -- they can't...

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Atlanta, Ga.: A pretty lame year for movies and television if you ask me -- I bet the ratings for this year's Globes are among its worst. Kate Winslet -- her breathless acceptance speech Best Actress was almost nauseating and very hard to believe. Show some poise woman! For someone who pretends to be someone else to make a living, you'd think she'd be able to compose herself and not be so melodramatic...

Lisa de Moraes: Early stats: 14.6 million, which is, of course a huge jump from last year's Golden Globes News Conference which clocked only about 6 million -- and really, there are six million people who will actually sit through a news conference announcing Golden Globe winners? NBC should make that a regular program -- it would do a bigger number in many timeslots than it's doing now...But, getting back to Globe numbers. on the minus side, it's way down compared to 2007 when the trophy show averaged 20 million viewers and as recently as 2004 it was averaging nearly 27 million and rivaled the Oscars. Big difference this year: "24" season debut on the same night. Major Fox counterprogramming.

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To the Dogs: Maybe one thing Rourke should have mentioned was that the reason he only had his dogs left to thank was that he alienated most of his peers in Hollywood in the last 25 years and was a major a_ _. He's lucky the dogs stuck with him.

Lisa de Moraes: Wasn't that his point? He seemed to acknowledge he'd been a jerk for years. Isn't it wonderful our dogs still love us when we are?

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Fairfax, Va.: So what keeps 30 Rock on the air? I'm sick of hearing about it. Nobody watches. It's just Fey's SNL/NBC connections that keeps it on. How can a network be that ingratiating to one person?

Lisa de Moraes: Well, NBC owns the show -- that's a big help when a show isn't doing a big number because the network/studio also reaps the financial benefits of ancillary markets, like off-network sales, DVD sales, international sales, etc. Plus, its audience, while small, is a bulls-eye demographically. In other words, no one over 50 is watching which makes NBC very happy. It's a pure demographic play for NBC and it gets a higher CPM -- cost per thousand sets of eyeballs -- for this show than an older skewing show with the same tonnage. And, I'm guessing, it's still pretty cheap to produce though that of course will change when Alec Baldwin's current contract comes up...

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Re: Atlanta, Ga.: You clearly weren't in the tank for any one nominee -- I was rooting for "Slumdog Millionaire" with all my might. So happy for those folks. Also, the GGs are the best -- they are only three hours, they mix TV and movie actors AND they let them sit at tables and drink. Best trophy show there is.

Lisa de Moraes: Agreed, but this show used to be soooo much better when it was on cable. There was no "thank my agent" blah, blah, blah. All the acceptance speeches were amusing and the whole Cecil B. De-Important Award was a roast and hilarious.. Once it moved to broadcast and started getting double digits -- on cable I think it averaged around 5 million viewers at best -- the winners started giving those Fear Speeches. You know, if I don't thank my agent, and the studio head and all the bigwigs no viewer cares about, they will never give me another job again.

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Glorious Globes: My two cents: I loved, loved, loved Tina Fey's speech, am sad to have missed Rourke's (is there a clip on YouTube?), and I think that this fizzy-hair phenomenon is partly due to high def -- now we couch-stylists can see every imperfection.

And can Miley Cyrus just GO AWAY? At first, I gave her a pass because she is only a teen, but I now think that bratty persona is just a deep flaw in her personality. Hearing her talk about her "hand-me-down Porsche" on the red carpet made me want to throw my Milk Duds at the TV.

washingtonpost.com: Mickey Rourke Wins Golden Globe (YouTube/NBC)

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, once Miley is just a couple years away from insufferable.

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The best part of Ricky Gervais....: Was that he went onstage with a DRINK IN HAND. Brilliant. If everyone who had to introduce a clip had done that, it would have been loads better. Seriously hope the Oscars take note.

Lisa de Moraes: All trophy shows need to be set around dinner tables in a convention hotel teeming with tourists. It seems to inspire the thespians...

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Columbus, Ohio: Alex Baldwin should win all the awards

Lisa de Moraes: agreed!

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Chinatown: 30 Rock is FUNNY. If you're not smart enough to get it, go back to watching Two and a Half Men.

I will admit that it's a lot funnier when you can watch several episodes in a row.

Lisa de Moraes: Oh snap! I love it when people watching a show that isn't succeeding on a broadcast model have that wonderful sense of superiority over people watching the most successful sitcom on TV today. But why didn't you nick Super Bowl viewers? That would have been way better....

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Washington, D.C.: I got a kick out of Tom Hanks. He said thank you quickly and was genuine without being showy. Basically a response from someone who has won awards before and will continue to win them in the future.

Lisa de Moraes: Remember back in the day when he used to give these flowery, labored acceptances speeches that, after you listened to them for about 10 minutes, you couldn't figure out what he'd said, although it sounded really dramatic? I much prefer the new Clipped Tom Hanks Speechifying.

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Washington, D.C.: I have always thought that for awards shows each nominee should submit ahead of time a list of people he/she wishes to thank. The list would scroll beneath the winner while he/she accepts the award. Acceptance speech could then be something more than "And oh I know I'm forgetting someone, oh yeah, Jim Gimblestob at Fox Searchlight, whom I love." Gaack.

Lisa de Moraes: I think the network should bleep the names to discourage those acceptance speeches. Every year the producers of these trophy shows beg the nominees not to bore the audience to death with these speeches. It is driving down the audience levels but the Hollywood-ites can't seem to figure out it's a show and if the numbers continue to shrink, eventually the show will be taken off broadcast. Like happened to the beauty pageants. Those used to pull in very big numbers. No more.

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State of Confusion: Maybe it was just me and my half-dozed view, but did Darren Aronofsky give the no-no salute to Mickey Rourke? It looked like it took the camera-man some seconds to realize just what was extended and cut away. Does the lack of press coverage finally mean that there are better things to discuss? And I do note the irony in my bringing up the lack of coverage regarding something that does not deserve much coverage to begin with.

Lisa de Moraes: Sadly, I can't report on that because I was at the hotel, watching a live feed from the stage so I don't know what was shown on NBC. I'm guessing the network had a couple-second delay -- pretty standard since Cher and Nicole Ritchie used the same forbidden word two separate years at the Billboard trophy show...

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Props for Sally Hawkins: I too loved Mickey's acknowledgement of his dogs, but I was also moved by Sally Hawkins' acceptance speech. (Which I thought was a whole lot more genuine than Kate's second one -- sorry, Kate.) I hope people go to the theater to see her film -- one of my favorites of 2008.

Lisa de Moraes: Both of Kate's speeches seemed like well rehearsed panic...very annoying...

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Favorite Bit of the Night: Was Seth Rogen, and watching Elizabeth Banks get more uncomfortable by the second when he was doing his schitck about the 80s.

That said, is "30 Rock" really that high-brow of comedy? This is what I never got about why people aren't watching it. It's a funny show, one of my favorites, but it's not really 'that' frenetic of an experience.

Compared to the British Office, for example, 30 Rock is According to Jim.

Lisa de Moraes: Yes that needs to be added to our list of fave moments. And, heck, compared to the British "The Office" the NBC "The Office" is "According to Jim."

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Washington, D.C. : Ricky Gervais was referencing the episode of Extras with Kate Winslet where she played a nun in the Holocaust "only to get an Oscar." It was an inside joke, not an off-the-cuff crassness. Pays to be a student of British comedy.

Lisa de Moraes: Thanks for reminding us -- I should have mentioned for the confused...

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Old Town Alexandria, Va.: Please explain to me why the movie "In Bruges" was labeled as a "comedy or musical" and not a "drama." There was nothing musical or comedic about the movie. It was as dark a drama as they come.

Lisa de Moraes: I confess, I have not seen it so I'm no help here. Anyone else?

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Arlington, Va.: They tried the scrolling thing at the Tony Awards one year. It stunk. Good in theory, horrible in practice.

Lisa de Moraes: Bleeping -- much better.. No names of agents, managers, studio suits allowed.

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Atlanta, Ga.: Who does Matthew Weiner think is going to pay him his $10 million dollars? It's not like he's proven himself a cash machine for networks.

Oh and nice beard, dude.

Lisa de Moraes: He apparently thinks AMC and Lionsgate will. Hahahahaha.

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Slumdog: is overrated. This year's Crash if you will. And you know what else? It's been done before... did no one see City of God?

Okay, sorry. Thanks for letting me vent. Had to get that off my chest. On another note, did anyone find Kate Winslet's declaration of love to Leo a bit odd? Especially considering what she said about her husband two minutes later.

Lisa de Moraes: Kate Winslet's second acceptance speech was a real train wreck. Much speculation it's a marriage killer....I like Winslet as an actress but she should let Tracy Morgan give her acceptance speeches...

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Fairfax, Va.: But I liked that Mickey Rourke thanked his agent who actually came after the has-been to represent him and get him some real roles. First person he thanked. I actually looked the guy up because I was so impressed with that.

Lisa de Moraes: That was maybe the one and only time I thought thanking an agent made for an interesting speech.

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For State of Confusion: No, your eyes were not deceiving you. He did give Rourke the middle-finger sign (or as Dandy Don Meredith once termed it, the "We're Number One" salute).

Lisa de Moraes: I'm surprised it made it through the NBC Decency Police Delay. Unless they did not have a delay, which would be really dumb

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"In Bruges": Was laugh out loud funny at times, but also serious, contemplative, violent and just a really good film. Less competition in the comedy category, I guess. And it reminded me that Colin Farrell, without the bad-boy hype, is a pretty good actor.

Lisa de Moraes: so, it defied categorization?

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Bruuuuuuuce!: Bruce Springsteen is still as sexy as can be.

Lisa de Moraes: Really? But I never got the Springsteen thing, so I'm not the right person to comment...

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Springfield, Va.: NBC did in fact run Darren's "salute" to Mickey Rourke. I was not so asleep at that point that I saw it and was surprised they didn't immediately pan away.

Lisa de Moraes: So this trophy show may have been more fun than I thought.. Did the "naughty" words also make it through?

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No naming of suits: I think people like Mickey Rourke should get a pass on that ban. I mean, that young man who saved his career is a true-life alchemist.

Lisa de Moraes: You betcha! We'd bleep on a case-by-case basis. If they could demonstrate actual storyline, name of agent could stand. Otherwise, the old heave-ho...

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Gervais was referencing the episode of Extras with Kate Winslet where she played a nun in the Holocaust "only to get an Oscar." : doubly funny in light of Tom Cruise.

Lisa de Moraes: I too was surprised Gervais did not make a crack about Cruise's latest flick. Maybe it was too easy?

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Is "30 Rock" really that high-brow of comedy?: There are some cerebral references, but the main difference is that the humor is based on characters playing off what others say rather than the typical American humor based on slapstick, ridiculous things happening to the protagonist, all the better if gas is involved. It's thinking rather than physical.

Lisa de Moraes: What's so nice about "30 Rock" is that it does not use the "set up line, set up line, punch line, cut to new scene or commercial" formula that has become sitcom writing today. People are always ruminating about what's killing comedy on TV and no one seems to get that ad clutter is the biggest culprit...

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Houston, Tex.: Hi Lisa, Who was best dressed in your opinion? I loved the dress Mary Louise Parker wore.

Lisa de Moraes: My fave outfit was worn by some starlet, or girlfriend, or whatev, who was never seen on screen. She was wearing a fuscia parachute that had been fashioned into some sort of flamingo dress with big black buttons down the back. It was the most horrifying thing I have seen in ages of trophy show covering. I frankly don't remember many of the gowns on the red carpet or the show. Lots of beige. Winslet's dress was very conservative. Nobody knocked me for a loop with their outfit -- except, of course the parachute thing...

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Bleeping: No the naughty words were still bleeped. Don't know if the camera guy just didn't want to pan away quickly like a ninny and the director was just asleep at the wheel. It was a long pause.

Lisa de Moraes: Apparently the censor did not attend the Standards Department's finger-language class...wonder if he would have caught mooning. We'll never know, sigh. Where's Jack Nicholson when you need him?

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NBC Delay: NBC definitely had a delay because someone dropped the f-bomb during their acceptance and it was bleeped. But the camera guy held onto Mickey's agent giving the middle finger for quite some time. I had to tape the rest of the telecast when a friend called sobbing about a break up. I wanted to say, "Not now!" but I hit record and rewinded it to confirm the break up. Yes I taped it because I don't have TiVo.

Lisa de Moraes: I'm so sorry. Is this an irreparable split, or can we hope for reconciliation?

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RE: Ricky Gervais/Kate Winslet Holocaust movie: The joke was that Kate Winslet guest starred on Extras a few years ago and that is where the Holocaust joke started. She complained the whole show that she didn't have an Oscar and he told her that she would get one if she did a Holocaust movie. He was just bringing it up again, which was pretty funny.

Lisa de Moraes: It was very very funny. The man needs to be the Designated Trophy Show Host...Seriously. Or, give the man a talk show. I know -- NBC at 9, Monday through Friday!

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The Thin Man: Just watched the whole "Thin Man" series. When will Hollywood learn that well-lubricated thespians are what we the viewing public want to see? They knew it in the 30s.

Lisa de Moraes: Somehow they un-learned that lesson. I'm thinking two drinks mandatory before you can get up on stage...

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Nosy Parker: "J.Lo replaces Brangelina at the Globes": J.Lo replaces Brangelina at the Globes (MSNBC, Jan. 12)

According to this article, Brad and Angie were originally supposed to have presented the first award at last night's Golden Globes, but the Oscar folks are allegedly trying to undermine the attention the Globes receive by threatening celebs with not being asked to present at the Oscars if they also present at the Globes, and this was the supposedly reason Brangelina dropped out and Jennifer Lopez presented the first award instead.

My question: Don't the Oscars have a lot more to lose from Brangelina not presenting there than Brangelina have to lose if they don't get asked to present at the Oscars? While I can believe the Oscar folks are stupid enough to run the risk of shooting themselves in the foot that way, I can't believe that Brangelina would actually capitulate to such bullying tactics.

All-knowing Pookie, do you have any inside dish on this?

Lisa de Moraes: I'm wondering if Brangelina has some movie deal with Disney which broadcasts the Oscars -- versus NBC which has long-term rights to the Globes. That might have made the difference.

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Alexandria, Va.: Best dressed for me were Drew Barrymore in that gorgeous blue/gray dress and Olivia Wilde in the Reem Acra lavender dress!

Lisa de Moraes: I vaguely remember Barrymore looking stupendous. She was at HBO's afternoon of the press tour in some flowery one-shoulder number -- a little outre for 3 p.m. but beautiful nonetheless. She just gets better looking with age..we hate that.

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Baltimore, Md.: To Alexandria/RE - "In Bruges":

The movie likely qualified as a black comedy because of the interplay between Colin Farrell (as a wanna-be gangster whose first heist goes tragically wrong) and Brendan Gleeson (as his wizened, veteran gangster/father figure)...not to mention Ralph Fiennes' over-the-top portrayal of the maniacal capo. I agree that the language and entire story was more of a drama than a comedy, but the characters, and some of their situations, made it a black (not just dark) comedy.

Lisa de Moraes: Great point, though my head hurts now...

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Sore Losers?: Any fallout from someone who expected to win and then didn't? That's always fun, too.

Lisa de Moraes: She wasn't sore, but did you see Meryl Streep jump up to give Sally Hawkins a hug as she was walking up to accept her Globe -- the one she beat Meryl to win -- which was clearly Meryl's way of trying to make it all about her and get herself into the camera shot, but Hawkins blew her off and walked by her? That was some fine trophy-show moment. And, by the way, Hawkins' dress was my favorite because it's the only one I actually remember. It was subtle, but really lovely. I'm out of time. Bye.

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