Who you calling ugly?

NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman lamented the uncertain fate of the Golden Globes during a radio interview this morning, saying: "Sadly . . . it feels like nerdiest, ugliest, meanest kids in the high school are trying to cancel the prom, but NBC wants to try and keep that prom alive."

Hmm. Are those making-up words? Or fighting words?

Silverman made the comment during a lighthearted on-the-air conversation with radio talk show host Ryan Seacrest and mogul Donald Trump during a segment that started out talking about the new NBC show, "The Celebrity Apprentice," but soon turned to the strike. (Seacrest traditionally does red-carpet hosting duties for E! Entertainment before the Golden Globes.)

Silverman said he hopes that a resolution can be reached that would allow the Golden Globe Awards show to go forward as planned and be televised on NBC for the fans as well as for the performers who are up for honors. He also raised a fairness question about whether there was something intentional about the WGA's decision to strike the show at a time when it has shown willingness to negotiate with other entities, such as Tom Cruise's United Artists and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants: "That's really what is just kind of disturbing me, how inconsistent it all is; it seems very much [like it is] being played in a kind of intentional way and not a professional way."

He said that he is optimistic, though, and joked that he wasn't just looking out for NBC's interests: "I'm hoping we'll all be there together because I'm not only the chairman of the network broadcasting, but I'm also nominated." (Silverman is producer on two shows nominated for Golden Globes -- "Ugly Betty" and "The Office.")

More news on the strike

--Rene Lynch

Comments

[Mindy]

Silverman's statement is offensive on so many levels that I don't know where to begin.

His usage of "nerdy" as a derogatory term is utterly ridiculous, and his calling the writers "ugly" is on roughly the same maturity level as insulting the writers' mothers.

This one sentence exemplifies the pettiness and shallowness of Hollywood and the AMPTP.