Wrapping up the Golden Globe awards

WHETHER from journalistic laziness or bias, The Times failed to report what was easily the most significant moment, in a broader context, of a Golden Globes ceremony overstuffed, as usual, with sycophantish pleasantries (“Spreading the Wealth,” by Bob Baker and Susan King, Jan. 20).

This was Pedro Almodovar’s subtle reference, at the end of his acceptance speech for best foreign language film, to the impending war with Iraq. Alluding to the “fact” that the door sign in his hotel room, instead of saying “Do Not Disturb,” said “Peace,” the famed Spanish director added that he found this a worthy sentiment and hoped those in the audience would spread a similar message. The reaction from the Hollywood crowd was enthusiastic applause.

Perhaps not on a par with past Oscar-night salvos against Native American mistreatment, the Vietnam War or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but in this apolitical age, at least worthy of note.

Vincent Brook

Los Angeles

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IN the Golden Globes story “This Time, It’s Ladies’ Night” (by Rachel Abramowitz and Lynn Smith, Jan. 20), Meryl Streep is described as having “nervously patted her unwaif-like figure to make sure it was really still in her crystal-beaded jacket.” Streep is a beautiful woman -- who says that “waif” is some standard for a woman’s body type? And what does her body fat quotient have to do with her acting ability?

Strangely, this sentence is co-written by Rachel Abramowitz, who spent hundreds of pages exploring sexism in Hollywood in her book “Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?”

Joseph Puterbaugh

Santa Monica