The 80th Annual Golden Globes Awards took place Tuesday night on NBC, and host Jerrod Carmichael decided to open the show with a focus on race.
As the show began, Carmichael dove directly into one of the reasons that last year's Golden Globes ceremony was cancelled. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which hosts the awards, had come under criticism for lacking black members in its organization.
Carmichael: Welcome to the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards. I am your host Jerrod Carmichael. Sure, sure, sure and I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here because I'm black. [ laughter ] I''ll catch everyone in the room up. [laughter] If you settle down a little bit, I'll tell you what's been going on. This show, the Golden Globe Awards, did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which I won’t say they were a racist organization, but they didn’t have a single black member until George Floyd died, so do with that information what you will.
Through a long monologue, Carmichael perseverated on the "moral/racial dilemma" he felt when asked to host the ceremony. He described calling his "home girl Avery who, for the sake of this monologue, represents every black person in America."
Avery asked him how much money he would get paid for the gig.
"And I said $500,000. And she said, 'Boy, if you don't put on a good suit and take some white people's money...'" Carmichael said to laughter from the audience.
While race dominated the opening segment of the show, left-wing LGBTQ issues took center stage later in the night. Creator Ryan Murphy, whose recent hits include Netflix's Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, won the evening's Carol Burnett Award (for television contributions on or off the screen). During his speech, the gay filmmaker attacked Florida, presumably for its legislation protecting young schoolchildren from inappropriate sexual content.
Murphy: When I was a young person at home in the ‘70s, watching ‘The Carol Burnett Show,’ I never ever saw a person like me getting an award or even being a character on a TV show. It's hard being a LGBTQ kid in America. In fact, all over the world, then and now. And I have one word for you, Florida. You are often told you will never become anything. You have to hide your light to survive.
What country is Murphy living in? Americans inundated with messages celebrating homosexual lifestyles and LGBTQ indoctrination in schools is so ubiquitous that children now actually feel pressured to adopt various gender or sexual identities.
Shortly after Murphy's win, actor/activist Sean Penn introduced a pre-recorded speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was the second time Zelensky had given a speech at a major awards show. The Ukrainian leader previously pleaded for his country at last year's Grammy Awards.
But, the ceremony did have a few unexpected moments for a Hollywood production.
After winning best supporting actress for her role in Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett gave a faith-filled speech, telling the audience "by the grace of God, I stand here. I stand here grateful," and “good things come to those who pray.”
Paul Walter Hauser, winner for best supporting actor in a limited series, was also unabashedly religious and gave a shout-out to "my king, Jesus Christ."
Such open expressions of faith are rare in Hollywood ceremonies.
Other than those fleeting moments, the ceremony felt predictable. It also felt needlessly long, dragging on with each hour.
Television ratings for awards ceremonies have been in decline year after year. This year's awards did nothing to turn around that trajectory.
