Aglow at the Globes

Since shaking loose the dust of the Zadora era and taking its place just off-center in the award heavens, the Golden Globes have reigned as the Oscars' quirky, unpredictable stepbrother. With its meeting of film and TV stars, the show delivers the season's highest octane celebrity spectacle.

At the Beverly Hilton, the size of the event has exploded. The Beverly Hills PD seals off the surrounding blocks. A multicolored blimp parks overhead. Fans by the thousands line up for the most fleeting glimpse of stars' limos.

The hotel itself becomes a Hollywood amusement park, with every square inch remade into party, planning or holding rooms.

Even a tiny plot of the lobby was reserved six months earlier by an Israeli man hell-bent on capturing a front row seat.

Into this melee, the Kudos Crasher descends.

The walking red
In contrast to other awards shows, where all is chaos atop the red carpet, the Globes' setup reveals that, when it comes to putting on an event, these people are undeniable pros.

The carpet emerges at the limo drop off, winds past the fan bleachers and the photographers' pen before making a leisurely wrap around the hotel's circular driveway. Trees line its path between little gazebos housing "Access Hollywood" and "The Insider."

There is plenty of room for each of the hundreds of reporters to find lean space on the railing, like visitors at a very plush zoo. Stars stroll calmly down the line, picking and choosing their interviews.

Nonstars, the mere guests also walk the line at an abnormally slow gait, seeming to savor the phenomenon of those hundreds of eyeballs and camera lenses fixed upon them, even if it's just for the moment before the owners ask, "Who the hell is that?"

Random observation No. 1
Considering you never see anyone smoking in L.A., every single celeb seems to smoke. All of them were out on the smoking patio puffing away at one point or another during the night. I won't even list the names, because it was truly every last one.

The rings of fire
Forty-five minutes before showtime in the International Ballroom; people are filing in and slowly occupying the tables. In these moments, with plenty of good red carpet time still available, the steerage outer rim tables fill first; the more important guests wait until the final minutes to take their seats. The seating chart is roughly divided as follows:

— Pit in front of the stage: Movie stars and moguls.