Golden Globes Host Jerrod Carmichael's Opening Monologue Took Aim at...The Golden Globes
Before the broadcast of tonight's 80th Golden Globes ceremony even began, no one was entirely sure just which A-listers would show up. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association went through a massive membership revamp following diversity issues, yet some of the celebs who once returned all their awards were back to celebrate the past year of movies. Another fancy party—how could Hollywood say no? The HFPA even landed comedian Jerrod Carmichael as this year's host, who came ready to speak honestly—and without reservation.
In his opening monologue, the Rothaniel comic started off by announcing that the only reason he was there was because he was Black. "I won't say that they were a racist organization," he said of the HFPA, "but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died." You could cut the tension with Lydia Tár's conducting baton.
Carmichael revealed that he wrestled with the "moral dilemma" of hosting, but eventually decided to just take the money and run. The HFPA offered him half a million dollars, according to Carmichael. "But I'll be honest with everyone... I took this job assuming that they haven't changed at all," he explained, mockingly applauding that the HFPA added six new Black members. "Whatever. Congrats to them."
As Carmichael mentioned, the last time the Globes aired live, not a single member of the HFPA was Black. The HFPA has since cleaned up by boosting the racial and ethnic diversity of their membership to over 51%, according to Deadline, but you really wouldn't be able to tell when looking at this year's nominees. This year, the HFPA did not nominate any films with a predominately Black cast in the Best Picture category, even though this year boasted critical successes such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Woman King, Emancipation, and Till. Nominees were also down as a whole, with even fewer Black and Latino actors nominated than last year.
"We are working to correct past wrongs, past transgressions, but we are really feeling like we're in a position to take pride in some of that work," Neil Phillips, the HFPA's first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, told NPR this week. "But most importantly, we aren't done." Hopefully not—because there's a lot of work to be done if this schmoozey celebrity banquet wants to remain on the air.
"I'm here, truly, because of all of you," Carmichael ended. "I look out into this room and I see a lot of talented people that I admire—people that I would like to be, people that I'm jealous of, and people that are really incredible artists. Whatever the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's past may be, this is an evening where we get to celebrate. And I think this industry deserves night's like these, and I'm happy you all are here." The first two awards then went to Ke Huy Quan from Everything Everywhere All at Once and Angela Bassett from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It appears the Globes are back, like it or not.
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