Here’s hoping they had a team of emergency responders backstage at the Golden Globes, because host Ricky Gervais shot himself in the foot and fell flat on his face throughout his opening monologue.
Gervais was so consumed with reminding us this was his fifth and final time hosting the Globes, so intent on congratulating himself for being edgy and not caring the least about anything, so obsessed with taboo, bleep-inducing zingers, he forgot something.
He forgot to be funny.
Sporting a tux with no tie, with a glass of beer on the lectern, Gervais set the tone for a condescending, smug routine by calling the membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press “all racists” and telling the star-spangled attendees, “Let’s have a laugh at your expense. … They’re just jokes, we’re all going to die soon, and there’s no sequel.”
It was hardly a surprise when Gervais targeted every showbiz elephant in the room and got controversial with his comments. That’s exactly what the hierarchy expected when they brought him back once again to host. Let’s get viral! Let’s embrace the irreverence!
Excellent. Bravo.
I wasn’t offended by Gervais’ subject matter. I was disappointed the content wasn’t up to his usual standards.
Gervais scored a mild laugh by poking fun at Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating habits (though that’s hardly fresh material), and his crack about a sequel to “Sophie’s Choice” was admittedly funny — but far more of Gervais’ so-called “jokes” were just crude cheap shots.
His swipe at James Corden wasn’t worthy of a Monday night open-mic routine. The “Two Popes” punch line was lazy.
The execrable Jeffrey Epstein deserves to be mercilessly skewered, now and forever and for all time, but Gervais’ jab at Epstein was weak and uninspired — and he came across as petty (and pandering to the anti-Hollywood crowd) when he told the audience, “I know he’s your friend, but I don’t care.”
On three separate occasions during the increasingly disastrous routine, the NBC cameras cut to Tom Hanks — whose unsmiling reactions seemed to speak for the room, and for many of us watching at home.
Eh. You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.
Not that the broadcast was lacking in memorable moments. Carol Burnett Award honoree Ellen DeGeneres conducted a master class in how to accept an achievement award. Tom Hanks and Laura Dern delivered beautiful speeches in accepting their respective awards. “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho urged movie lovers to not let the “one-inch tall barrier of subtitles” discourage them from expanding their universe.
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“Missing Link” winning best animated film over “Frozen 2” and “Toy Story 4” was an upset, but I still expect one of the latter two movies to take home Oscar.
Time and again, in both the TV and film categories, the HFPA crowned one deserving winner after another, from Awkwafina’s victory for best performance by an actress in a comedy or musical movie for “The Farewell” to Taron Egerton’s Globe for “Rocketman” (which actually WAS a musical) to Brad Pitt’s supporting actor win for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” to wins for “Chernobyl,” Brian Cox (for “Succession”) and Russell Crowe (for “The Loudest Voice”).
Long after Gervais’ stumble is forgotten, these Golden Globes should be remembered for getting it right — most of the time.
