The Golden Globes were a mix of celebrity excess and troubling behind-the-scenes stories.

It's an odd sensation to feel morally conflicted while watching swarms of celebrities traipse down a red carpet wearing gowns that don't allow them to sit. Yet here we are with the 2023 Golden Globes.

Awards shows (and the entertainment industry in general) have never been a problem-free child and red carpets, in particular, have never been great at hiding this.

And yet, in past years it's been easier for viewers to push some of these feelings aside. 

All thanks to the opulent gowns, the scandalous and emotional acceptance speeches, and a level of celebrity intermingling that the masses found intoxicating to watch. 

Watch Michelle Yeoh's Golden Globes speech right here. Post continues after video. 

Prior to social media, if you had an inexplicable urge to know what your favourite actress had tucked away in her clutch or to spy some elusive stars embracing in a suspicious manner, a red carpet was your only gateway.

Then the conversation around awards shows entered a much-needed period of change, and one of the industry's biggest reckonings was centred on the Golden Globes.

A 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation exposed a lack of diversity, amongst other issues, in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (who run the Golden Globes) and raised concerns about its ethics and financial practices.

What followed was NBC pulling the Golden Globe Awards off the air, a number of high-profile celebrities slamming the awards in statements and online, while some stars – such as Tom Cruise – returned the Globes they had previously won.

HFPA responded by sharing a plan of reform, which included “a specific focus on recruiting Black members" and this year the awards returned to our screens with a renewed level of glitz and glam and movie stars.

Which brings us back to the conflicted red carpet.

On one hand, (and I'm sure no one wants this etched on their tombstone, but it's true) red carpets and awards shows offer up a sense of giddy escapism.

A place where you can dissect couture looks from the comfort of your Kmart track pants and feel a fuzzy sense of pride when your favourite show scores a statue. 

They open the door to lighter celebrity scandals, birth new pop culture moments and generally give us a night of second-hand decadence. A night that, to be fair, doesn't make us forget the perils of the world we live in, but gives at least gives us a short holiday from it all.

But at the start of this year's Golden Globes, it felt a little harder to separate the glitz from the glaring set of issues that were not finding their way into the red-carpet interviews.

There was the fact that women were still predominantly shut out of the major categories. With only one woman nominated in the Best Screenplay category, and none of the Best Picture nominees for drama and comedy directed by women.

And the fact that some stars still refused to attend. Namely, Brendan Fraser who despite being nominated for Best Actor in a Drama for his role in The Whale declined to attend. 

Brendan had previously alleged in an interview with GQ that he was sexually assaulted by Philip Berk, the former head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. When asked if he would reconsider attending the Globes he replied: “No, I will not participate. It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”

It also felt very telling that the first trailer for Pamela Anderson's upcoming documentary was released on the same day as the Globes took place, with the awards giving multiple nominations to Pam and Tommy – the series that left her feeling hurt and exploited. 

All of these examples highlight bigger issues within society and the entertainment industry, not necessarily a reason why celebrities shouldn't be celebrating their wins at this particular event. 

Yet it still allowed an uncomfortable air to follow the stars from the red carpet to the ballroom. Was one year off really enough to fix the systemic issues behind the awards? Issues that ran so deep they caused the industry as a whole to boycott the entire ceremony?

Then the Golden Globes host, award-winning comedian Jerrod Carmichael, launched into his opening monologue and the issues that appeared swept under the rug were launched into the spotlight. 

“I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’m here ’cause I’m Black,” he began.

“I’ll catch everyone in the room up. The Golden Globe Awards did not air last year. I won’t say they were a racist organisation, but they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died, so do with that information what you will.

"One minute you’re making mint tea at home, and next you’re invited to be the Black face of an embattled white organisation. Life comes at you fast!

“I’m going to be honest with you, I took this job assuming they hadn’t changed at all. I heard they got six new Black members… congrats to them," he continued. "Whatever. Sure. But it’s not why I’m here. 

"I’m here because of all of you. I look into this room and see a lot of talented people. People that I admire. People I would like to be like. People that I’m jealous of. People that are incredible artists. 

"Regardless of whatever the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s past may be, this is an evening where we get to celebrate, and I think this industry deserves evenings like these.”

It was a powerful statement and one that set the tone for what the night could be. 

An acknowledgment that while things were in no way fixed, they could start to get better, and stopping altogether only serves the people who had always been in power.

Of course, if this year’s Golden Globes had not taken place then we would have been denied the powerful wins and acceptance speeches from the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Quinta Brunson, and Jennifer Coolidge. 

At the end of the night, the Golden Globes were much like Hollywood itself – shiny on the outside, but in need of some difficult conversations within. 

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here.

Feature image: Getty + Mamamia.