The nominations for the 50th Golden Globe Awards sparked immediate and heated discussion.Considering the achievements of "Scent of a Woman" and "A Few Good Men," it's easy to understand the media's explosive fervor.Hugo's incredible performance at both the beginning and end of 1992 was truly astonishing.Winning a Golden Raspberry Award at the start of the year and then two Golden Globe nominations at the end of the year is an extraordinary feat that will likely be incredibly difficult to replicate in the future.All news media were participants, and even instigators, in this miraculous journey, which only made reporters more amazed.It wasn't just the "Los Angeles Times"; almost all media outlets were buzzing about the Golden Globe nominations, even leading to discussions about the Oscar nominations.Hugo's performance in "A Few Good Men" was indeed commendable, but the problem was that the competition for Best Actor was exceptionally fierce.This time, Hugo was only nominated for Best Actor in a Drama.If the Musical or Comedy categories were combined, especially given Hugo's young age of twenty-five and his past Golden Raspberry Award, his prospects would be uncertain.As for his supporting role in "Scent of a Woman," although the Golden Globe supporting categories are not separated, and Hugo did receive a nomination, truthfully, Hugo's performance in "Scent of a Woman" lacked sufficient competitiveness.Everyone knew that Al Pacino was the absolute lead in that film, which brought to mind the situation with "Dead Poets Society"—it made Robin Williams, but Hugo, who delivered a brilliant performance, received no nominations.Therefore, his Oscar prospects remained elusive.Despite all this, Hugo's double nomination at the Golden Globes was an undeniable fact.Regardless of his future Oscar prospects, Hugo had revitalized his acting career and achieved a significant breakthrough in his ten-year acting journey, which was certainly worth extensive media coverage.The Golden Globe nominations were released in the morning, and by the afternoon, Joseph received an important invitation—the most significant program invitation Hugo had ever received, from "The Oprah Winfrey Show"!Talk shows, as a special program format, can be traced back to the 1930s.At that time, talk shows not only featured a host but also audience participation, and the focus often shifted to widely discussed social issues, which helped solidify the talk show format.After decades of development, talk shows rose strongly in the 1980s, becoming a crucial component of American television programming.Including the late-night shows Hugo had appeared on, there were currently over a dozen different talk show formats on various American TV stations, demonstrating the prosperity of this program type.During the promotional periods for his two films, Hugo had appeared on talk shows multiple times, using this concise and relaxed method to promote the movies.In the 1980s, when talk shows rapidly emerged, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" held a very special position.Perhaps it wasn't the first show to popularize talk shows to the general public—Johnny Carson might be closer to that honor—but "The Oprah Winfrey Show" elevated this program type to a whole new level.Oprah Winfrey, a 38-year-old black woman, took over ABC's "AM Chicago" in February 1984.She drastically reformed the program, removing all trivial and irrelevant topics and replacing them with pressing social issues and controversial subjects that people cared about.She wasn't keen on things others found interesting; instead, she always dared to try things no one else would.Unlike most talk shows that, to attract viewers, revel in exposing privacy, displaying chaos, and shaming failures, Oprah, from a friend's perspective and with feminine qualities, comforted and helped those in distress, allowing them to regain positive energy.In just one month, "AM Chicago" leaped from a third-rate talk show to a program on par with "The Phil Donahue Show," hosted by the then-top talk show personality Phil Donahue.Three months later, it surpassed Phil to become the number one rated show, making Oprah an overnight talk show icon.In 1985, "AM Chicago" was officially renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and broadcast simultaneously in 120 cities across the United States.By the end of 1985, facing Oprah's immense success in the same city, Phil suffered a defeat, leaving Chicago for New York in disappointment, which heralded a dramatic change in the entire American talk show landscape."The Oprah Winfrey Show" became the most successful talk show in the entire United States and even the world, averaging over ten million viewers daily and consistently holding the top spot in American talk show ratings for years, continuously breaking its own records.Ratings represented audience affirmation, while the Primetime Emmy Awards signified professional recognition.It won the love of countless viewers worldwide and ushered in a new era for talk shows."The Oprah Winfrey Show" is undoubtedly an insurmountable milestone in the history of American television and even a symbol of popular culture.Oprah herself is one of the most legendary black women in America and even the world, transforming from a poor ugly duckling into a globally renowned talk show queen.She is not only the first black billionaire in America but also the most influential black woman in the country.On "The Oprah Winfrey Show," interview subjects included ordinary people, experts, and naturally, many world-class celebrities.Getting an opportunity to appear meant being able to showcase oneself to over ten million American viewers.It's worth noting that Hugo's two appearances on "The Tonight Show" achieved impressive results: the first time had 4.8 million viewers, and the second had 5.3 million.Both times were the highest-rated programs of their type in their time slot for that month.Specifically, the second appearance, promoting "A Few Good Men," was one of the top five highest-rated programs of 1992.While not unsuccessful, these viewership numbers were far from those of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."If Hugo remembered correctly, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was not only the highest-rated talk show in American history but also the longest-running daytime talk show in American history.It also set the record for the highest single-episode viewership of a talk show in American television history, a record set by Michael Jackson in 1993.That episode, when Oprah interviewed Michael, attracted 62 million viewers, which was almost a record-breaking number.Therefore, being able to appear on such an influential talk show, and especially receiving a direct invitation from "The Oprah Winfrey Show," was undoubtedly the best affirmation of Hugo's 1992.Joseph accepted the invitation from the production team without any hesitation.Without much time for adjustment, the very next day, the two boarded a flight to Chicago, heading to the City of Big Shoulders.The United States is a vast country, the fourth largest in terms of land area globally.Across this land, several massive metropolitan areas can be seen.New York is undoubtedly the largest metropolitan area, Los Angeles ranks second, and Greater Chicago, comprising Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, is the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States.Although Hugo had been in the United States for nearly a year, he had only visited a handful of cities.This was his first time in Chicago, and he was full of curiosity about this place known as the Windy City.Windy City Chicago is nestled along the curved shoreline of Lake Michigan, with the lake forming a "pocket" around it from the southeast and west.Cold winds blowing from neighboring Canada to the north directly funnel into this wind pocket.Combined with the wide streets and waterways within the urban area, the cold wind easily sweeps across most parts of the city, hence the name Windy City.Locals even self-deprecatingly quip, "A year of wind, blowing from spring to winter."Chicago is also known as the City of Big Shoulders, a nickname derived from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and famous Chicago poet Carl Sandburg, who wrote in his 1916 poem "Chicago": "Hog Butcher for the World... City of the Big Shoulders...."Since then, the Windy City gained another intriguing nickname.In fact, the "City of Big Shoulders" moniker is well-founded, as Chicago is the birthplace of skyscrapers.After the first tall building was constructed in 1885, opening a new chapter in architecture, Chicago became a hub for high-rise buildings, the city with the most tall buildings in the entire United States.Therefore, the City of Big Shoulders can also be interpreted as standing on the shoulders of giants.Hugo had no particular interest in tall buildings; various structures simply appeared as a steel forest to him, and he couldn't discern much difference between Chicago and New York, at least not from the airport entrance.However, after stepping out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Hugo immediately had a direct experience of the Windy City.Although he suspected on the plane that the biting winds might prevent the aircraft from landing, it wasn't until he was on the ground that Hugo truly understood what bone-chilling cold meant."Oh, God..." Hugo couldn't even open his mouth.The moment his lips parted, a gust of cold wind from Lake Michigan directly rushed into his mouth, causing him to cough.Joseph, standing nearby, saw Hugo's discomfiture and heartlessly chuckled.Hugo looked up and saw Joseph had fully zipped up his jacket, covering his mouth, clearly having prepared thoroughly, which made Hugo's mouth twitch.But there was no time to bother with Joseph now; Hugo quickly turned up the collar of his jacket, trying to block the relentless cold wind.December in Chicago gave Hugo a harsh welcome, making him realize: the Windy City was definitely not that simple.
