“The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter,” wrote Blaise Pascal in 1657.
Taking the leisure time BEFORE the announcement in a “what if … I win?” kind of way, paid off at The Golden Globes hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler last weekend, with winners who were well-disciplined in their concise soundbites of appreciation.
Here is a recap of some of the very pithy and eloquent thank you’s made to writers, directors, presidents, mothers and others. And a few missteps too …
“The most deft pen is a clumsy tool, but we keep trying. Thank you for letting me try all over your movie.”
– Alex Ebert, Best Original Score, “All is Lost”
“He (President Mandela) refused to hate … not because he didn’t feel anger and rage, but because he thought love would do a better job.”
– U2, Best Original song “Ordinary Love”
“David (O. Russell), you write such great roles for women.”
– Amy Adams, Best Actress/Movie “American Hustle”
“Because of my thick accent, I’d like to thank my actors for what they think I said, instead of what I did say. Sandra (Bullock) thought I said I was going to give her herpes, instead of I’m going to give you an earpiece. True story.
– Alfonso Cuaron, Best Director/Movie “Gravity”
“I have no speech, but thank you [David] Fincher for convincing me to do this!”
-Robin Wright, Best Actress/TV Series-Drama “House of Cards”
“I’m a terrible public speaker. And English is the only language I speak. So we’re in trouble.”
-Spike Jonze, Best Screenplay “Her”
“I am just so thrilled to be part of this evening and among such great people as you and I never win so I can’t believe I won!”
– Amy Poehler. Best Actress/TV Series-Comedy “Parks & Recreation”
“(Director) Martin Scorcese puts the fabric of our culture on the screen.”
– Leonardo de Caprio, Best Actor/Movie-Comedy “The Wolf of Wall Street”
“As kids, my mom wouldn’t let us watch television. She would say, “Don’t watch someone else do it, go out and do it yourself. Good advice for an actor. Thanks, Mom.”
– Matthew McConaughey, Best Actor/Motion Picture-Drama “Dallas Buyers Club”
“I actually did watch all the films this year — well, not all of them, but you know what I mean. So I can say to the women tonight, it’s such an honor to be nominated with you.”
– Jennifer Lawrence, Best Supporting Actress “American Hustle”
Oooops…and a few of the spoofs were a little too “inside” baseball … er entertainment for a broadcast event.
What was presenter Emma Thompson doing barefoot, carrying her Louboutin red-bottomed pumps and a full martini glass?
Why did Dan Goor, co-creator of the Andy Samberg-starring Fox show “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” say, “this is way better than saving a human life!’
– Best TV Series – Comedy or Musical
And …
“It’s impossible to do good work without good people. Thank you, Woody (Allen) for calling me instead of …
And thank you to the cast and crew for plying me with vodka, the way Judy Garland was probably plied with barbiturates.”
– Cate Blanchett, Best Actress/Motion Picture-Drama “Blue Jasmine”
As always, the Golden Globes proved to be a night of entertaining soundbites recognizing the strong talents of the Entertainment industry. Stay tuned to see what’s in store for the rest of the award season!