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 John Wilson at 29th Golden Raspberry Awards | |
| Description | Worst in film |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Golden Raspberry Award Foundation |
| First awarded | 1981 |
| Website | http://www.razzies.com/ |
The Golden Raspberry Awards, called the Razzies for short, is an annual award ceremony held in Los Angeles to recognize the worst in film. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the event precedes the corresponding Academy Award ceremony by one day. The term raspberry is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The awards themselves typically cost US$4.79 each, in the form of a "golfball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel; the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
History
Foundation
American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson traditionally held potluck dinner parties at his house in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to formalize the event, after watching a double feature of Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. He gave them ballots to vote on worst in film. Wilson stood at a podium made of cardboard in a tacky tuxedo, with a foam ball attached to a broomstick as a fake microphone, and announced Can't Stop the Music as the first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture. The impromptu ceremony was a success, and the following week a press release about his event released by Wilson was picked up by a few local newspapers, including a mention in the Los Angeles Daily News with the headline: "Take These Envelopes, Please".
Approximately three dozen people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had double the attendance as the first, and the 3rd awards ceremony had double this number. By the 4th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, CNN and two major wire services covered the event. Wilson realized that by scheduling the Golden Raspberry Awards prior to the Academy Awards, the ceremony would get more press coverage: "We finally figured out you couldn't compete with the Oscars on Oscar night, but if you went the night before, when the press from all over the world are here and they are looking for something to do, it could well catch on," he said to BBC News.
Name
The term raspberry is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". Wilson commented to the author of Blame It on the Dog: "When I registered the term with the Library of Congress in 1980, they asked me, 'Why raspberry? What's the significance of that?' But since then, razz has pretty much permeated the culture. We couldn't have done it without Hollywood's help." Wilson is referred to as "Ye Olde Head Razzberry".
Format
Awarding process
Paid members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation vote to determine the winners; individuals may become members of the foundation by visiting the organization's website at www.razzies.com. For the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards in 2009, award results were based on votes from approximately 650 journalists, cinema fans, and professionals from the film industry. Voters hailed from 45 states in the United States and 19 other countries.
Ceremony
The ceremony, typically held one day before the Academy Awards, is modelled after the latter but "deliberately low-end and tacky". The awards themselves typically cost US$4.79 each, in the form of a "golfball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel; the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
See also
- List of people who accepted Golden Raspberry Awards
- List of films considered the worst
- The Golden Turkey Awards
- Stella Awards for outrageous lawsuits
- Bad Sex in Fiction Award
- Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year for odd book titles
- Ig Nobel Prizes for questionable scientific achievements
References
- ^ Lindrea, Victoria (February 25, 2007). "Blowing raspberries at Tinseltown". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ Larsen, Peter (January 20, 2005). "The Morning Read - So bad, they're almost good - A love of movies lies behind the Razzies". The Orange County Register. p. 1.
- ^ Germain, David (Associated Press) (February 26, 2005). "25 Years of Razzing Hollywood's Stinkers". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel Company. p. 7D.
- ^ Marder, Jenny (February 26, 2005). "Razzin' The Dregs of Hollywood Dreck - Film: Cerritos' John Wilson Marks His Golden Raspberry Awards' 25th Year With A Guide To Cinematic Slumming". Long Beach Press-Telegram. p. A1.
- ^ Dawson, Jim (2006). Blame it on the dog: a modern history of the fart. Ten Speed Press. pp. 48–50. ISBN 1580087515.
- ^ Crouse, Richard (2005). Reel Winners: Movie Award Trivia. Dundurn Press Ltd. pp. 103, 208. ISBN 1550025740.
- ^ Marrs, John (February 25, 2009). "'They have no excuse to be as bad as they are' - The Golden Raspberry awards aren't just a refreshing antidote to the Oscars, they can help sell films too. John Marrs talks to the Razzies' founder, John Wilson". The Guardian. www.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- Kaltenbach, Chris (March 21, 2002). "Russell and Denzel Don't Have a Chance Here". Sun-Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel Company. p. 3E.
- Margulies, Lee (February 21, 2009). "Film Industry Razzes 'Love Guru,' Paris Hilton". Los Angeles Times.
- Telegraph Herald staff (February 22, 2009). "Hilton, Myers top Razzies". Telegraph Herald. p. A2.
- Agence France-Presse staff (February 22, 2009). "'Love Guru', Paris Hilton are top of the flops". Agence France-Presse.
External links
| Golden Raspberry Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current awards | |
| Retired awards | |
| History | |
| Award ceremonies | |
