Best Globes ever?

The Golden Globes went by so fast last night, I thought I'd left my remote on fast-forward.

And yet, could this be the wave of the future?

Consider: No acceptance speeches. Short clips (some of them couldn't have been any more than a second or two). Just a list of nominees, the name of the winner, occasional chat and on to the next one.

What if the Oscars tried this?

As an aside in talking about the importance of the writers' strike, Don Cheadle observed that the Oscar ratings have been declining for years. Commentators have pointed out any number of reasons for that - a lack of rooting interest in nominees, a culture inundated with celebrities - but a biggie is bloat. The awards simply go on forever.

It's not the speeches, either. It's all the musical numbers, and routines, and presenter patter, and the "why film is important" segments. What if the Oscars consisted of a red-carpet fashion show, a recitation of winners, a bunch of after-parties and called it a night?

As NBC (yes, I was watching NBC ... old habits die hard) moved on to "American Gladiators" after the Globes, a friend looked at me and asked, "Could this have been the best Globes ever?"

Well?