Sex scandals bring sober note to Hollywood party season

Los Angeles

HOLLYWOOD'S elite head for the red carpet on Sunday for the Golden Globes, the glitzy launch of the entertainment industry's awards season, with sexual harassment scandals casting a long shadow over celebrations.

Billed as the most raucous event in the showbiz calendar, the champagne-drenched Hollywood Foreign Press Association's (HFPA's)annual prize-giving is a draw for filmmakers and actors looking to create some buzz ahead of March's Academy Awards.

But this year's ceremony, seen as the first big opportunity for the industry to unite against a pervasive culture of sexual misconduct brought to light by the downfall of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinste…