Golden Globes 2011

Sun 1/16/11 The weather was perfect today, so I left church and headed to Beverly Hills for this year's Golden Globe Award arrivals. This was my first year attending the GGs (last year rained cats and dogs plus I was fasting and praying for Haiti) so I was eager to get there and compare/contrast it to the Oscars. I got there about 3 pm and surveyed the set up. First off: Security was tight but they were very professional. They barricaded off all access to the Beverly Hilton (the GG venue)from blocks away and no one could enter without an entrance ticket. All the fans were relegated to the side-walk across from an official looking rear entrance on Wilshire Blvd with a blue awning and a side access street a half a block away.

I stayed at the rear entrance long enough to see NBC's Today Show host and weatherman, Al Roker artfully dodge on coming cars as he run across lanes of traffic, tuxedo jacket in hand. He was smiling and cheerful but obviously late. We shouted hello and thanked him in jest for the lovely weather and he waved back. I was a few feet from a small group of faux protesters protesting fake and contradicting causes in hopes of get on TV. They were loud and obtrusive so the police came over quite often and then they were eventualy told to leave.

I soon relocated to the star arrival street which was already lined with eager fans hoping that their favorite stars would drive by. However, as there was 1/10 of the crowd of the Oscars, everyone was able to line up along the main arrival street and get a real up close glimpse of the stars as they drove by in their limos dressed in their finest. I got a good position and waited for the sleek black limos to arrive, which they did at a regular pace.

Unfortunately, there were two so-called Christian protesters there with signs and they shouted judgemental things at the stars as they passed by in the limos and they also freely misused many scriptures. The majority of the crowd stated that they were Christian, too that they didn't like the protesters approach but people just mumbled it under breath. Most knew their Bible and had been to church earlier and some, like myself, were even heading back to church later in the evening. The male protester was quite aggressive and he began confronting the crowd with condemnation, too. Eventually, the crowd had had enough and we started rebuking him with Bible verses. The police came over and assessed the situation and relocated the protesters far from the main crowd, which was greeted with cheers of "God bless the cops"!

Seeing Stars:
I saw lots of stars as they rode by en route to the red carpet at the Hilton. Though, we had to whoop and holler a lot to have the limos stop and for the stars to roll down their windows and wave. I was the designated spotter and screamer so I didn't get any pictures(lol). Thankfully, my GG viewing friends e-mailed me a few later.

The Women:
We saw a smiling Amy Adams, Claire Danes, 30 Rock's Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski (I didn't even realize that she was pregnant 'til I viewed the red carpet arrivals later). Others seen included Helen Bodham Carter with her 80's hair, Julianne Moore, Edie Falco, Jane Lynch and the marvelous and always stylish, Helen Mirren.

The Men:
We saw chocolate handsomeness Edris Ilba (see photo), Ryan Gosling, funny man Steve Carrel (looking quite debonair) and rapper turned actor, LL Cool J, who licked his lips but did not roll down his window. Sean "Puff Daddy", "P. Diddy", "Bad money"? *rolls eyes* "whatever" Coombs rolled down his window but I didn't bother glancing his way. Paul Giamatti rolled down his window and waved to us like we were old friends while Thomas Jane just had a satisfied smile on his face.

Young Hollywood:
I was told that I missed Justin Bieber by about 15 minutes but that didn't stop me from calling out a feigned spotting just to see the teen crowd reaction-lol. I also did this for Robert Pattison who I was told had not been by us yet. I saw Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network) and the new Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield (he's also in Social Network). Then I saw Zac Effron (nearly unrecognizable with a shorter buzz hair cut) and Jake Gylenhaal(looking a bit embarrassed at all the attention). At 5:00 pm, Rob Pattison's limo was the last to whiz by but with windows rolled up as he was late for the red carpet.

Couples and Ensembles:
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas drove by with all smiles. Zeta-Jones looked absolutely lovely from the bodice up (I especially loved the earrings). I didn't exactly see Douglas but and I'm glad that he is is doing well. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie drove by with their windows up despite shouts and signs for them to "roll your windows down". They relented at the light and finally gave the crowd some great photo opps.

The cast of Glee predominated the arrivals, with each cast member arriving seperately in their own limos, to the thrill of the teens and college students in the crowd. The cast was very energetic and gave full access to their screaming fans but I only know a few of them on sight so it was not as thrilling for me.

Look-alike or Mistooks: I mistook a short haired blond actress for Carey Mulligan but it was actually Michelle Williams. Then I mistook January Jones for Nicole Kidman but Kidman drove by with hubby later. I also mistook Carrie Underwood for Julianne Hough but they really look alike anyway.

Writers, Producers, Directors:I saw Aaron Sorkin, then we spotted famed director, Steven Spielberg(Jaws, Jurassic Park)and the entire crowd erupted with cheers. I thought I had seen Quentin Taurintino too but instead it was a young actor named Christopher French.

Update:
The Golden Globe Coverage:
Unfortunately, I could not watch more than 5 minutes of the GG coverage thanks to host, Ricky Gervais. I normally like Gervais but he went too far tonight, I think. Not only was he unbelievably mean he was also vulgar at times and mostly unfunny (British humor be damned). His only funny joke was about the Tourist and even that one bit a bit too hard. I also didn't like Robert Downey, Jr.'s sexist comment about sleeping with the female nominees but I liked Tom Hanks and Tim Allen's rebuttal to Gervais' mean-spiritedness.

Golden Globe Fashion:
Best Dressed:
As I couldn't see the stars' outfits in the limos, I had to tune in to the red carpet arrivals on TV for the full picture. Olivia Wilde, Eva Longoria (black, form fitted gown with plunging neckline and a diamond detail at the waist) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (exquisite green satin fish-tail) were my best dressed picks but I gave the win to Longoria.

Pregnancy Fashion/Honorable Mention:
Natalie Portman looked gorgeous in a peachy dress with a red rose detail framing her baby bump.(Portman also rocked it at the SAG Awards on 2/6 wearing a white strapless gown with shimmery diamonesque inserts at the bodice and a lovely baby bump). Jane Krakowski looked gorgeous in a grayish blue gown with draping but the 6 inch staked heels that she wore could have been omitted (as the falling runway models can attest, they are unsafe pregnant or otherwise).

Worst Dressed:
Former fashion model, Heidi Klum took the prize but Leo Michelle (in red ruffle hell), Helen Bodham Carter (in 80's fashion hell)and Jane Lynch were close seconds. More Men: All of the men looked handsome and well outfitted and none made any missteps fashion-wise.