NBC and Others Condemn Former HFPA President After Racist Email Circulates
NBC and Dick Clark Productions, producing partners of the Golden Globes, condemned the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) after its former president Philip Berk circulated an email containing racist remarks. It’s not the first time the HPFA has come under fire, as this latest incident sheds light on a long history of inclusion and representation issues within the long-standing organization.
I made a timeline of the last two months of Golden Globes and HFPA nonsense, which ended up being both amusing and distressing: https://t.co/b4lB9lVEal
— Kate Erbland (@katerbland) April 21, 2021
Berk has involved himself in previous scandals during his time with the HFPA. He published a memoir awhile back, which brought controversy to the HFPA, and was accused of groping actor Brendan Fraser. Just last week, the eight-term president forwarded a right-wing article to his fellow members and called Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement.” The article also called out BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors for purchasing a home in an affluent area.
“Since its inception, the HFPA has dedicated itself to bridging cultural connections and creating further understanding of different backgrounds through film and TV. The views expressed in the article circulated by Mr. Berk are those of the author of the article and do not — in any way shape or form — reflect the views and values of the HFPA. The HFPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and finds such language and content unacceptable,” the HFPA board stated for Variety in response to Berk’s actions.
hold up, the guy who brendan fraser says assaulted him has continued to serve as the president of the HFPA for years after those allegations came out? yeah this industry has TOTALLY learned its lesson
— devon of nine (@dynamofire) April 20, 2021
As far back as the 1950s, the Golden Globes have generated controversy over their voting practices, winners, and racial makeup. See the scandals that rocked the HFPA over the years. https://t.co/Poxf9E5NoH
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) April 21, 2021
The HFPA consists of 87 members, all published and recognized journalists in their field. In February, as the 78th Golden Globe Awards were underway, Hollywood and fans of the film called out the organization’s lack of diversity in its voting makeup.
There hadn’t been a Black member voting for nearly two decades. So the HFPA hired USC Professor Shaun Harper to tackle these existing policies and public image. They added 13 Black members to the organization and partnered with Time’s Up. As of Tuesday, Harper stepped down from his role as HFPA’s diversity consultant. With Berk’s comments looming, the organization is still far from meeting its own self-imposed reforms of diversity and inclusion.
In the past, NBCUniversal has been quiet about the scandals around the Golden Globes and the HFPA.
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 20, 2021
Here’s what NBCUniversal had to say in March. https://t.co/6sygvrplYE
“NBC strongly condemns Phil Berk’s actions and is calling for his immediate expulsion. While we continue to await the details of HFPA’s upcoming plan for reform, swift action on this front is an essential element for NBC to move forward with the HFPA and the Golden Globes,” NBC explained in a statement.
Berk has since been ousted from the HFPA, given the strong backlash against his actions. While many are angered that his firing hadn’t come soon enough, others see this as only the beginning of reformation for the HFPA. Time’s Up called for the entire board to resign and reapply as new strategies are being put in place.
Writer | @IlanaDavis24
