When Emily in Paris received not one but two Golden Globe nominations earlier this month, people were, understandably, very confused. Whether you swallowed the season whole or avoided it like a plague, no one seems to have managed to enjoy the Netflix show in an entirely un-ironic way. Certainly not in a manner befitting a nomination for Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy, in addition to one for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy for Lily Collins. Well, now we can consider that mystery solved.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, over 30 members of the HFPA (the Hollywood Foreign Press Association or, you know, the people responsible for the Golden Globe nominations) were treated to an incredibly luxe press trip back in 2019, courtesy of Paramount Network. The members were flown out to France by the production company, ostensibly to visit the Emily in Paris set.
“They treated us like kings and queens,” one member is quoted as saying. The trip consisted of a two-night stay at the Peninsula Paris hotel — a five-star establishment with per night prices beginning at around $1,400 — as well as a news conference and lunch at a private museum. Though the HFPA rules officially state that members are forbidden from accepting gifts valued at over $125, there are clearly ways to get around them.
Another member, who declined to participate in the junket, says that “there was a real backlash and rightly so — that show doesn’t belong on any best of 2020 list.” Harsh, but undeniably true. “It’s an example of why many of us say we need change. If we continue to do this, we invite criticism and derision.” Well said.