Sly in-jokes, lots of flattery, and plenty of the right kind of social commentary are expected from hosts of major entertainment awards shows — provided that conservatives, Republican politicians, and President Donald Trump are the intended targets. Hollywood proved it couldn’t really deal with a joke directed at the entertainment class and its deeply felt beliefs during this years’ Golden Globes broadcast.
Like other major awards shows, ratings for the Golden Globes have been plummeting in recent years — but that might change after a brutally honest display by host Ricky Gervais. Viewers at home may have been laughing, but the audience had mixed and sour reactions to Gervais’ “don’t care” attitude and commitment to exposing hypocrisy.
The Oscars, the Tonys, and other awards shows used to be huge events on television – and broadcasts dominated the ratings for decades. During their peak, hosts like Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and Billy Crystal included viewers in the celebration, letting them in on the jokes and poking fun at the Hollywood stars in the audience. That has all changed in recent years, though.
Awards shows have become serious business, with winners using the stage not to give thanks, but to berate others for social injustices and political issues. Gervais broke out of the mold during the recent Golden Globe awards, and his remarks, while refreshing for the rest of us, generated icy stares and a profound lack of engagement from the in-house audience.
Gervais reminded the room of the purpose of entertainment was to entertain, and that people no longer cared about movies any more. He also highlighted the increasingly long and political speeches given by winners who had a moment in front of the microphone.
“If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world,” he said.
Clips and reaction shots of the audience showed just how poorly received this criticism was, but Gervais was undeterred. He continued to speak his mind, and for many viewers at home during the broadcast, poking fun at the attendees and even mentioning politically charged topics, including Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.
A few of the “objectionable” jokes included:
“I came here in a limo tonight, and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman. It’s her daughter I feel sorry for. That must be the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to her, and her dad was in Wild Hogs.”
and
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nearly three hours long. Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere, and by the end, his date was too old for him. Even Prince Andrew’s like, ‘Come on, Leo, mate. You’re nearly 50, son.’”
According to the progressive and pandering Los Angeles Times, Gervais failed spectacularly as a host. The outlet’s piece on the Golden Globes program lambasted the comedian, and took a sharp detour into impeachment and war territory. The paper stated that the audience was not simply reacting to being mocked or hearing some hard truths, they were instead overwhelmed and somber because of impeachment, fires in Australia, and squabbles with Iran. The paper was clearly not a fan of Gervais’ performance, concluding:
“The last thing anyone needed was for the smirking master of ceremonies to reprimand them for having hope, or taunt the room for trying to use their influence to change things for the better.”
We would like to thank the Los Angeles Times — and the rest of the media establishment — for continuing to prove that Gervais was 100 percent correct about everything he said.
