The Golden Globes have, as of recently, been made out to be the younger sibling of the Oscars and the Emmys. It gives fans of television and film an indication of who may be nominated for the bigger awards. While the event has lived up to its reputation in past years, the 71st Golden Globes failed to deliver.

One thing to consider is the quality of movies that were nominated for both the 70th and 71st Golden Globes. In comparison, the movies were much better in 2012. Some of these films included “Argo,” “Les Misérables,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Django Unchained” and several more. A few highly regarded films nominated this year were “American Hustle,” Captain Phillips” and “Gravity.”  This lack of interesting nominees made for a lackluster best picture race.

Another disappointment about this year was that the show itself just wasn’t very exciting. A tribute to Woody Allen kept viewers entertained for a bit, but something was still missing. The hosts were certainly not the problem; Amy Poehler and Tina Fey displayed the same charm and wit that made them such a hit at last year’s show. It’s no surprise that they were asked to come back for another year as the audience enjoyed seeing their quirky personalities throughout the three-hour event. However, even Fey and Poehler’s excellent repeat performance could not keep the ceremony from feeling dragged out.

This year also lacked the controversy surrounding last year’s show. The Oscar nominations had been released before the Golden Globes and fans were outraged that Argo’s Ben Affleck had not been nominated for Best Director. But Affleck was nominated and won Best Director at the Golden Globes. Either way, it sparked controversy, and it was a major talking point throughout the awards season. This year, the Oscars decided to release nominations on Jan. 16, four days after the Golden Globes, which kept this sort of situation from coming up again.

The most talked about event at the Golden Globes was before the show even started on the red carpet. America’s sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, who normally wears beautiful dresses, did not follow through this year. She still managed to steal the spotlight with her hilarious photo bomb of Taylor Swift, which quickly went viral. Sandra Bullock and “Girls” star Lena Dunham, who was the most ridiculed, were among the worst dressed as well. Among the best dressed were Emma Watson, Amy Adams and Sofia Vergara.

Then there are the awards itself, which were spread across the board this year. No single film or TV show could seem to break away from the rest. Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his performance in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Amy Adams won Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. “American Hustle” won Best Movie in a Musical or Comedy while “12 Years A Slave” won Best Movie in a Drama.

“Breaking Bad” won Best Television Drama, surprising no one, and Andy Samberg’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” won Best Television Comedy. The best actor and actress in a drama were Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett.

There were not many special moments in the Golden Globes this year. There were good speeches by some actors and actresses, but not very memorable ones. It has award show watchers split: Will the Oscars/Emmys be better or is this year’s awards season just a bust?

Ultimately, that choice is left to the viewers. At this point, the winners hardly even matter. Audiences tune in to these shows to be entertained, and this year’s Golden Globes simply failed to do so.

Rachel Arlin can be reached at [email protected].