The Death of Hollywood Glamour?
Will Hollywood's finest get to step out in their red carpet best this season?
Jan. 9, 2008 — -- Well, it's award show season again. Or is it?
The Writers Guild of America's strike, which has forced the cancellation of the Golden Globes broadcast and threatens the beloved Oscars, has put a big fat dent in this normally joyous season of guilty pleasure TV.
The Globes will be given out at a closed-door ceremony, but no red carpet or show will be televised for the fans. What fun is that? Do we really care who won? Or does our enjoyment come from the sadistic critiquing of stars' fashion choices?
To paraphrase (and butcher, frankly) the old "if a tree falls in the forest" saying, if an actor wins an award but we can't praise her gown, has she really won? And to pull out another tried-and-true adage, isn't this show business? Shouldn't the show go on?
Now, I don't purport to know the business of Hollywood. I know the business of fashion and trashin', and trust me when I tell you the fashion houses and tabloid rags are taking a major hit. Without the pictures of primped, posing stars, the Hollywood shutterbugs will have to keep chasing the usual suspects to Starbucks, courtrooms or rehab in order to earn a living. And designers of jewels, shoes and glamorous gowns and tuxes will have to find a new way to hype and promote their couture creations.
Normally, an event like the Golden Globes is a hornet's nest of hairspray and high-end frocks with stars shamelessly pandering to the press for attention and approval for the look they didn't create or probably even pay for. The reality is that most of those on the red-hot red carpet have not personally spent a penny of their own overinflated salary (that's what the studios are for) on their looks. In fact, they haven't even spent much time pulling it all together. Typically, we're talking about a simple speed dial call to the publicist and we stylists are off and running to serve our prestigious clientele.
