Golden Globes: Edgy choices underline legitimacy

The Golden Globes inched closer to legitimacy in its 72nd show, giving awards not just to A-List celebrities, but to the edgier productions that unequivocally deserved recognition, including Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Birdman.

Adding to the spirit of subversion was the recurring theme of free speech, which was remarked upon by the likes of George Clooney and Jared Leto. Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler tackled a myriad of timely topics, including the Sony hacking, North Korea, and Bill Cosby.

Perhaps this isn’t a new mode for the Globes, but on Sunday, the most readily mocked show of awards season transcended its party reputation to become something more, even if the show got started with the Entourage cast using the red carpet to film a scene for their upcoming movie.