What role will the war between Israel and Hamas play in the Frothy Awards season?

As Hollywood enters the heart of awards season—a three-month orgy of frothy self-celebration and pop culture glamor—celebrities and their handlers face a serious decision: What to say about the Israeli government? Hamas war.

Movie stars have become increasingly willing and even determined to use award shows like the Golden Globes, scheduled for Sunday on CBS, to draw attention to progressive causes and concerns. In recent years, winners like Meryl Streep, Russell Crowe and Michelle Williams have incorporated topics such as sexual harassment, the global refugee crisis, abortion rights, Trumpism, climate change, Black Lives Matter, veganism and the war in Ukraine into acceptance speeches.

Viewers from both political sides are sometimes annoyed by what they see as elitist readings. But in the ballrooms of Los Angeles, where these trophies are presented and such speeches are delivered, the response is usually uniform praise. The couture-clad A-listers jump to their feet and offer ovations.

The war between Israel and Hamas is much more complicated.

“It’s such a treacherous subject — there’s no reaction, especially in the soundbite scrum of a red carpet, or in a breakneck acceptance speech, that won’t offend someone,” says Martin Kaplan, who runs the Norman Lear Center for Entertainment , Media and Society at the University of Southern California. “Add alcohol to the mix, as is often the case at these awards shows, and what could go wrong?”

The response to the conflict has roiled Hollywood, where there is a large Jewish presence, as well as many other parts of America. On the one hand, there is fervent support for Israel. On the other side are those who view the Palestinian cause as: an extension of the racial and social justice movements that swept the United States in the summer of 2020.

Stars have been dismissed from movies. Agencies have dropped clients; have customers dropping agents. Friendships have broken down, with people accusing each other of hypocrisy and betrayal.

Ahead of the Golden Globes, which kicks off awards season in earnest, some publicists and agents are advising celebrity clients not to say anything about the war between Israel and Hamas. One carelessly chosen word could destroy their Oscar hopes, and perhaps even their careers. A longtime Hollywood publicist who has clients in this year’s Oscar race summed up her advice on the subject as “running for the hills.” A few A-list clients, she added, walked the red carpet but skipped interviews. Too risky.

Others worry that silence itself is a political message. After Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, most Hollywood unions rushed to condemn the violence. But one leading union, the Writers Guild of America, declined to make a statement and stood by its decision despite enormous backlash from hundreds of its members.

Some leading Hollywood communications companies, including Rogers & Cowan PMK and ID PR, have offered yellow ribbons to wear in support of the hostages in Gaza. They view the effort, managed in part by Ashlee Margolis, who runs an entertainment and fashion marketing company called the A-List, as nonpolitical, though some may disagree.

“Wearing a symbolic yellow ribbon in support of the 136 women, children and men – both Israeli and American – who were brutally kidnapped by terrorists is not only powerfully human and certainly not controversial, but also camera-ready,” says Melissa Zukerman , managing partner of Principal Communications Group, said in an email.

The parade of ceremonies following the Golden Globes includes the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards and the British Academy Film Awards, before culminating with the Academy Awards on March 10. This year the Emmy Awards and the strike were postponed Governor’s Awards are also squeezed into the hallway.

Most of these galas have red carpets with reporters surrounding them. Stars should expect to be asked about the war between Israel and Hamas, says Marc Malkin, senior Variety editor and co-host of the official meeting. Pre-show of the Golden Globes on Sunday. “If they posted about it on Instagram or signed an open letter, it’s fair game,” he said.

That also appears to include Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman, a nominee for “May December,” who also posted on social media who expresses his disgust at the Hamas attack, and Jeffrey Wright, nominated for his acting in ‘American Fiction’, who doubted the wisdom of Israeli retaliation. Multiple “Maestro” nominee Bradley Cooper signed two public letters, one about the hostages urging them to “continue the fight for their freedom” and the other calling for “an immediate de-escalation and a ceasefire -fire’.

Spokespeople for these nominees declined to comment or did not respond to questions.

The upcoming self-congratulatory-athon could certainly go off without a hitch, with celebrities speaking knowledgeably on the complex and divisive topic. But the odds are not in Hollywood’s favor. The film industry has a long, if not proud, history of tone-deaf behavior.

There was a time in 2008 when Sharon Stone, walking down the red carpet, caused a media frenzy by saying that an earthquake in China that left 88,000 dead or missing might be karmic payback for the way the country dealt with Tibet was around. In 2022, jaws dropped in living rooms across America when, moments after Will Smith attacked Chris Rock on the Oscar stage, guests in the theater gave Mr. Smith a standing ovation following his tearful Best Actor acceptance speech.

Award shows always had a fiery speech here, a political cry there – whether it was Marlon Brando sending an activist to the Indians to reject his 1973 Best Actor Oscar, or Vanessa Redgrave’s 1978 “Zionist gangster” denounced. But for the most part, stars worked to be stars, turning on the charm and saying nothing that might alienate a single ticket buyer.

That has changed and the Golden Globes have led the way.

In 2017, Ms. Streep bumped into newly elected President Donald J. Trump on the Globes stage. The following year, the Globes became a de facto rally for the Time’s Up movement, with actresses wearing black to protest sexual harassment and Oprah Winfrey delivering a searing speech. In 2020, Ms Williams made an impassioned plea for the right to abortion, while Mr Crowe drew attention to climate change and a bushfire crisis in Australia.

Last year, the Globes gave airtime to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who gave a speech about his country’s war with Russia.

Representatives for the Globes did not respond to questions about whether this year’s show would veer into politics.

Producers who specialize in awards broadcasts say research compiled mainly by Nielsen shows that most viewers hate it when celebrities turn a visit to the stage into a pulpit for political bullies. A recent Oscars producer said an analysis of minute-by-minute viewing figures indicated that “huge swathes” of people turned off the television as celebrities began voicing their opinions on politics. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential statistics.

Comedian Ricky Gervais, host of the 2020 Globes, used part of his monologue to tell Hollywood it was testing the public’s tolerance for mixing serious business with awards bacchanalia.

“You are in no position to lecture the public about anything – you know nothing about the real world,” Mr Gervais said, adding: “If you win, come forward, accept your small award, thank your agent and your god” and leave the stage.