The awards show has long been a place to make a statement. But will actors and directors speak about Israel and Gaza? Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

By PJ Grisar January 4, 2024

The Golden Globes are the drunk, European cousin of the Oscars, and perhaps for that reason they have a reputation for being just as politically outspoken. 

While the Academy Awards will always have Vanessa Redgrave’s infamous mention of “Zionist hoodlums,” the surprise appearance of Sacheen Littlefeather and, of course, “the Slap,” the Globes have seen their share of activism from the dais. In recent years, winners have taken the stage to condemn Donald Trump, speak out against racism and speak up for environmental justice and a woman’s right to choose. The question for this Sunday night, the first major industry ceremony since the SAG and WGA strikes were resolved, is who will mention Israel and Gaza and how.

Page Six reports that organizers are hoping for an evening free of politics, while The Ankler found that there is a WhatsApp campaign to get celebrities to sport a yellow ribbon on the red carpet to raise awareness of Israeli hostages. Hollywood itself remains divided between signatories of a letter to Joe Biden thanking him for backing Israel and another one clamoring for the president to call for a cease-fire (Bradley Cooper signed both). Susan Sarandon lost representation over remarks she made about how Jews are “getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country” at a pro-Palestinian rally (she later apologized) while the Writers’ Guild found “a consensus out of reach” on a statement about the Israel-Hamas war.

Never have I been in more suspense ahead of an awards show, because the anticipation is not just about who will win, but what they will say. Whether or not Israel and Gaza comes up seems to align with the over-under on nominees and is, often, completely at odds with the tone of the work for which they are nominated. 

Should Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) win supporting actor for the dour biopic Oppenheimer, where he plays the titular scientist’s lead inquisitor Lewis Strauss, a real-life Jew and onetime anti-Zionist, I am relatively certain he won’t touch the topic. If, however, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) wins for his turn in Poor Things, playing a caddish attorney who whisks away a grown woman with the literal brain of an infant, I’m quite sure that some form of pro-Palestinian sentiment and moral outrage over Israel will be folded into his acceptance speech, given the actor’s vocal support for a cease-fire and long history of advocacy for Palestinians.

Will Israeli-born Natalie Portman (aka Jane Foster in the Thor films), who publicly supported Israel after Oct. 7, but who has been critical of her home country in the past, bring the war up if she wins for May December? For the first time in film history, a movie based on a toy for children or a basketball sneaker could clear space for a mention of Palestinian kids killed in bombings or children held captive by Hamas — or maybe both.

At the same time, a film like Killers of the Flower Moon, for which I forecast a win for lead actress Lily Gladstone, seems to many in the pro-Palestinian camp to echo scenes from Gaza in its depiction of a yearslong Osage massacre. The Zone of Interest, about a Nazi family living next to Auschwitz, is almost too tempting for those who liken the Palestinian plight to that of Jews in the Holocaust as well as those claiming Oct. 7 as the start of a new one for Jews. (I doubt anyone involved with that film will make this connection in quite those ways, and they shouldn’t.)

It remains to be seen if the staunchly pro-Israel (if Netanyahu-critical) Sarah Silverman or Amy Schumer, both nominated in the new category of TV stand-up comedy performance, will turn up for the awards. Since Oct. 7, Schumer, and to a lesser extent Silverman, have drawn outrage for social media posts that many deemed Islamophobic. Judging by social media, not everyone in the industry is fond of the comics and the seating chart may have changed accordingly.

Host Jo Koy, a comedian and filmmaker who has stayed largely quiet on events in the Middle East, will preside over a night that could either be a damp squib or more combustible than any in living memory, as the mic beckons those assembled to make a large statement at the lectern. Adding to the atmosphere is my hunch that one or another pro-Israel campaign will air an ad while the rich and famous help themselves to the ballroom’s open bar.

For the first time in my life, I’m excited to see what happens, even as I’m dreading it. 

Correction: A previous version of this story described the Golden Globes as being produced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. While the HFPA ran the Golden Globes from 1955-2023, the organization has since disbanded, and no longer has a role in the Golden Globes.

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