Golden Globes: The Tyranny of Meanness

Celebrities in attendance at the Golden Globes

For a while I’ve thought that celebrity fashion has been downgraded thanks to the red carpet fashion critics who are now a part of pre-award show programming. Joan Rivers led the charge and unfortunately set a tone that is equal parts cutting, conformist and mean-girl put down, which has every actress out there scared to wear anything more daring than a prom dress–circa 1950.  What’s always baffled me is what exactly qualified her to be a fashion critic? She’s an entertainer last I checked and one whose entire m.o. is celebrating hatefulness.  No doubt she possesses a beautiful art collection, but no one believes that makes her qualified to comment on Picasso. Why is fashion any different? Which is why I think it’s pretty cool that New York Time’s Cathryn Horyn and Vogue’s Andre Leon Tally both had their say on the topic this week. Said ALT, “When you start watching red-carpet shows at 6:00 p.m. and don’t see a stunning dress until 9:00 p.m.—Julianna Margulies’s ruby paillette crepe robe de style with cutouts, by Narciso Rodriguez—it’s sad what passes for style in Hollywood.” Amen, Andre.

People aren’t as stupid or as easily bored as Hollywood thinks. In other words, Cathryn and Andre, if you two had a show commenting on celebrity fashion, one that encouraged creativity and even (gasp) avante garde, me and a bunch of my friends would definitely tune in!

Source: New York magazine