Awards season is really here. After a fall without the Emmys, in a few weeks we will be inundated with beautiful people thanking God and their agents for helping them along the way. This also means that awards-show swag bags are back, and this year the Golden Globes shot for the moon. Forget about all the bad stuff the scandal-ridden show was a part of (taking bribes, having no Black members in its voting body). This year their gift bag is worth half a million dollars. If you want to feel bad, divide $500,000 by your rent and see how many months of living in your apartment Margot Robbie’s goodie bag is worth.
According to the press release, this “may be the most valuable [gift bag] ever.” That makes it a grand departure from last year’s bag, which contained nowhere near as much stuff and was touted as being filled with “some of the most sustainable, socially conscious, and luxurious products.” Sustainability is out; private-jet credits and yacht charters are in.
The $500,000 number is a little misleading, as not everyone who receives a swag bag gets everything. The bags are given out to all 83 nominees, and inside there’s a catalogue where they can select which items they’d like. Some things, like a $50,000 five-day luxury-yacht charter in Indonesia, are available to all 83 recipients. However, specialty items like the world’s most expensive bottle of wine ($193,500) or a private class with “one of America’s Greatest Pizzaiolos” ($7,000) can only go to one person. My guess is that Jodie Foster is gonna nab the pizza lesson before anyone else.
Don’t be too jealous of the celebs receiving these gift bags, though. Everything they do end up accepting as a gift is considered taxable income. So, at least that’s not something you have to worry about.
