Nobody really knows why Emilia Perez (a foreign film and musical) swept the Golden Globes, but many suspect unfair advantages, improper calls, and a rigged system of critics, especially when faced with the true quality of the movies selected in this year’s competition.

Starting in 1944, the Golden Globes began as a smaller scale award show, garnering far less attention than it does to this day.

The Golden Globes official website mentions that the event first started as an informal lunch at 20th Century Fox studios. From then on, it hopped from place to place, taking on a different locale each time before finally reaching Los Angeles. Awardees at this time (1944) were presented with their titles in the form of scrolls. 

Under this new location, for more than 60 years, the Golden Globes began to take place at The Beverly Hilton, beginning in 1961.

Media Center Clerk Robert (Bobby) Sanchez explains how award shows, “seem to be trying to get attention on what they want attention on. It never seems what the audience is liking is what’s up there.” Especially with this year’s award ceremony, now more than ever, people are outraged with the outcomes of the event.

Despite this, the Golden Globes continue to grow, and soon a statue was created by organization president Mariana Cisternas, with the hope of encapsulating the dreams of this group— the iconic golden globe.

Britannica mentions how the Golden Globe award is second to the Academy awards for film, and The Emmys, regarding television. Making it one of the most renowned awards to receive among many others.

Under this award, there are multiple categories of excellence, with titles from Best Motion Picture for Drama, Comedy/ Musical, Animated, Non-English language, and several more. However, in this year especially, many people are left questioning the true credibility of these decisions.

Senior Sophia Limon argues that, “I really wish  [the award industry] was based off of your talent, your creativity, your work, your effort and the love you put into whatever you create.”

Some people believe the Golden Globes are anything but fair.

Emilia Pérez, a four time Golden Globes winner and a strong front runner for the Oscars, is a Spanish musical that has sparked a lot of controversy amongst the media and its viewers. The film won best musical, best supporting actress (Zoe Saldaña), best song (“El Mal”), and best foreign language film at the Golden Globes. It’s currently the most nominated Oscar nominee with 13 nominations. 

Emilia Pérez is a Spanish-language musical movie set in Mexico. It tells the story of a powerful cartel leader who decides to fake her own death in order to escape her dangerous life. With the help of a lawyer, she is able to disappear and finally transition into the woman she has always been inside. The movie follows her journey as she tries to leave her past behind and start over, while facing the consequences of her old life. Even though the story may feel or seem real, it is completely fictional and not based on true events.

Emilia Pérez has received a lot of backlash despite winning it’s achievements. Because of this, many people believe the award system is rigged because the movie won so many big awards even though it wasn’t well received by a lot of viewers. Some critics and audiences felt that other movies were more deserving, but they were completely ignored. 

One of the biggest complaints about Emilia Pérez is the music. Since it’s a musical, people expected great songs and strong singing performances, but the majority were disappointed. A lot of viewers thought the songs were forgettable and that the singing wasn’t at a high level, making the musical aspect of the movie weak. If the songs aren’t good, it’s hard for a musical to be truly successful, which is why some fans were shocked that it won so many major awards.

The movie also got backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, especially from trans people. Some feel that the way the main character’s transition is portrayed is unrealistic and even harmful. Members of the community along with general critics believe the main character is only transitioning to hide away from her problems, rather than embracing who she truly is.

There is also criticism about the movie’s depiction of Mexican culture. Even though  the plot is set in Mexico, most of the main cast isn’t Mexican, which made people question why Mexican actors weren’t given those roles. 

On top of that, some believe the movie relies too much on stereotypes about Mexico, cartels, and even trans women, rather than showing a more accurate or respectful representation. 

Junior Autumn Pagan shares her perspective, stating, “It’s more about the physicality of her transition rather than the other problems she faces as a trans person.”

Because of all this, Emilia Pérez has been one of the most controversial movies of the year, with many thinking it didn’t deserve all the awards it won.

Many passionate students and staff argue for the unfairness within the entertainment awards system, as questions regarding the academy’s credibility have sprung up for years, only to be knocked down by the raging popularity the event upholds year after year.

Arianna Parra, a senior, states that, “the [the award industry] is kind of like a class thing, but it’s entertaining to see what people get.” Despite the decisions made during the distribution of awards, some parts of the audience still enjoy seeing the results, continuing to appreciate the efforts made to run an event of that size. 

Mt. SAC Early College Academy’s (MECA) PE and study skills teacher Matt Johnson comments, “I mean [the award industry] is all subjective to who’s voting.”

Unfortunately, against the wishes of the general public, the award ceremonies are not based on the opinions of the people, but rather on a select number of judges, chosen to review each and every competitor.

Johan Cordero, MECA’s Spanish teacher agrees, noting that, “[award shows] are very biased at some point and it’s very subjective.”

That being said, the Golden Globes have been accused of such claims, noting how the final decisions regarding the movies had misled many through the choices made during the ceremony, especially while taking into account the quality of both acting and filming. Such results eventually lead to the public suspecting false claims and traces of corruption.

On the other hand, Limon argues that, “I don’t want [Emilia Perez] to prevent Latinos from making amazing films. That film shouldn’t define us in the industry.”