2008 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS (commentary by COOP)…

I’m one of those naysayers who thinks the Golden Globes (handed out by the less-than-scrupulous Hollywood Foreign Press Association) are no longer valid or coveted. Due to the writer’s strike last year, no one attended and it made for an exceptionally shallow and pointless televised ceremony. When the stars actually attend the ceremony they usually get so drunk at their tables that they spend half their time in the restroom and miss having their name called. Then they rush out laughing about it… a joke that’s far too old for me to laugh at anymore.

That’s tip of the iceberg. Many know about how billionaire Meshulam Riklis bribed the HFPA to get his girlfriend/actress Pia Zadora a “Best Actress” Golden Globe way back when, but stories of corruption within the mostly defunct organization are alive and well.

After seeing their new list of nominees, I can safely say I’m done with the Globes completely. Take note of the “Best Supporting Actor” category… Tom Cruise in “Tropic Thunder.”

I’m speechless. What a joke. Here’s the list of the other nominees from CNN.com. Read them if you want. As for me, I’m gonna wait for the Oscars….

The nominations for the 66th annual Golden Globes were announced Thursday morning. They are:

Drama: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Comedy or musical: “Burn After Reading,” “Happy-Go-Lucky,” “In Bruges,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

Director: Danny Boyle (”Slumdog Millionaire”), Stephen Daldry (”The Reader”), David Fincher (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Ron Howard (”Frost/Nixon”) and Sam Mendes (”Revolutionary Road”).

Actor in a drama: Leonardo DiCaprio (”Revolutionary Road”), Frank Langella (”Frost/Nixon”), Sean Penn (”Milk”), Brad Pitt (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Mickey Rourke (”The Wrestler”).

Actress in a drama: Anne Hathaway (”Rachel Getting Married”), Angelina Jolie (”Changeling”), Meryl Streep (”Doubt”), Kristin Scott Thomas (”I’ve Loved You Too Long”) and Kate Winslet (”Revolutionary Road”).

Actor in a comedy or musical: Javier Bardem (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Colin Farrell (”In Bruges”), James Franco (”Pineapple Express”), Brendan Gleeson (”In Bruges”) and Dustin Hoffman (”Last Chance Harvey”).

Actress in a comedy or musical: Rebecca Hall (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Sally Hawkins (”Happy-Go-Lucky”), Frances McDormand (”Burn After Reading”), Meryl Streep (”Mamma Mia!”) and Emma Thompson (”Last Chance Harvey”).

Supporting actor: Tom Cruise (”Tropic Thunder”), Robert Downey Jr. (”Tropic Thunder”), Ralph Fiennes (”The Duchess”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (”Doubt”) and Heath Ledger (”The Dark Knight”).

Supporting actress: Amy Adams (”Doubt”), Penelope Cruz (”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Viola Davis (”Doubt”), Marisa Tomei (”The Wrestler”) and Kate Winslet (”The Reader”).

Animated film: “Bolt,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Wall-E.”

Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (”Slumdog Millionaire”), David Hare (”The Reader”), Peter Morgan (”Frost/Nixon”), Eric Roth (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and John Patrick Shanley (”Doubt”).

Foreign-language film: “Gomorrah,” “I’ve Loved You So Long,” “Waltz with Bashir,” “The Baader Meinhof Complex,: and “Everlasting Moments.”

Original score: James Newton Howard (”Defiance”), Alexandre Desplat (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), A. R. Rahman (”Slumdog Millionaire”), Hans Zimmer (”Frost/Nixon”) and Clint Eastwood (”Changeling”).

Original song: “Down to Earth” from “Wall-E,” “Gran Torino” from “Gran Torino,” “I Thought I’d Lost You” from “Bolt,” “Once in a Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records” and “The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler.”

Television

Best TV comedy series: “30 Rock,” “Californication,” “Entourage,” “The Office” and “Weeds.”

Best TV drama series: “Dexter,” “House,” “In Treatment,” “Mad Men” and “True Blood.”