This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
On Sunday, January 5, 2020, the 77th Golden Globes ceremony took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The event was hosted by comedian Ricky Gervais, who made it clear from the start that he didn't care about the awards.
Declaring that this would be his final outing as host, Gervais began his opening monologue by saying, 'I don't care anymore. I'm joking: I never did.' He went on to riff after an awkward joke, 'It's the last time, who cares?'
Throughout the night, Gervais continued to poke fun at Hollywood's elite, including a joke about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He also made a joke about Felicity Huffman's jail sentence in a college-admissions scandal and a heavily censored one imagining Judi Dench, of 'Cats,' grooming herself in a feline manner.
Despite Gervais's not-so-subtle message, the winners of the night seemed not to care much about his not-caring. The comedian Ramy Youssef, picking up the night's first award for 'Ramy,' his Hulu series about a young Muslim man, said, 'I'd like to thank my god: Allahu akbar.'
Other winners, including Russell Crowe and Kate McKinnon, used their acceptance speeches to address more serious issues, such as climate change and reproductive choice. Patricia Arquette of Hulu's 'The Act' connected both news stories, urging her audience to vote in November.
By the end of the night, even Gervais was advocating, sort of: 'Please donate to Australia,' he signed off. 'Have a great time. Get drunk. Take your drugs.'
