Apolitical Globes Lean Into Gratitude (Not Politics)

January 8, 2024 admin Celebrity Gossip 0

The Golden Globes came back Sunday, along with virtually every star in the Hollywood galaxy.

The industry’s attempt to “cancel” the annual affair for its perceived sins had a short shelf life, apparently.

Something else returned Sunday night, a quality both overdue and unexpected.

Gratitude.

Now, every awards show has stars thanking their directors, agents and loved ones.

Sunday’s show was no different, but the thank you’s extended beyond the usual suspects. Winners honored the crew members who made their work possible and even the personal assistants who do the minor chores that make their lives easier.

More importantly? A few thanked audiences for coming back to the movies after the pandemic.

Refreshing.

Here’s how Margot Robbie celebrated her film “Barbie’s” win for the newly created Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award.

“We made it for you and we made it with love and thank you for loving it back,” the starlet said.

Why the change in tone? Did the stars honor the producers’ wishes to drop the political posturing?

Perhaps.

Did last year’s dueling strikes make actors realize how lucky they are to work at the highest levels of their craft? Or do they grasp that Hollywood’s economic status is … complicated and the 2024 box office predictions are dire?

No matter why, the Golden Globes proved more upbeat and woke-free than anyone expected.

To get there, audiences had to grind through a terrible opening monologue from comedian Jo Koy. The affable comic had just nine days to prepare for the gig, having been tapped at the very last minute.

And it showed.

“Everybody’s here … and I got the best seat in the house,” said Koy at the start of the show, giving audiences hope that his good guy bona fides might carry the day.

Nothing doing.

His jokes veered from pedestrian to insulting, the cruder gags lacking the snap necessary to sell them to a wary crowd. He clearly felt he was failing before millions of viewers, but even his attempts to address his failures flopped.

Blaming his joke writers for the “bad” jokes didn’t suit him well.

Koy poked fun at legendary actor Robert De Niro for impregnating his girlfriend despite his advanced years, a personal shot that was neither funny nor necessary. He also mocked “Oppenheimer” for its three-hour running time, throwing multiple gags at the topic with only one scoring a hit.

“I love ‘Oppenheimer,’ especially the first season,” he cracked.

Koy kept the monologue free of political barbs, about the best that could be said about his set. The show itself proved more efficient and less groan-worthy.

The Golden Globes hand out trophy after trophy, skipping the bloat that weighs down every Oscar ceremony. That focused attention on the night’s big winners – “The Bear,” “Beef,” “Oppenheimer,” “Succession” and “Poor Things.”

The presenters had an uneven night, but the good moments outweighed the groans. Kevin Costner’s attempt to praise the feminist messaging behind “Barbie” came off poorly.

“Saturday Night Live” alums Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell turned what could have been a creaky gag – their comments kept getting interrupted by the orchestra – into a warm and funny reaction bit.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan shocked everyone by connecting Hollywood to pedophilia, arguably the edgiest joke of the night.

Some brief exceptions?

Simu Lui and Issa Rae played the woke card during their stage time.

“I love to play white people roles,” Rae said. Yawn.

Lily Gladstone, who won Best Actress (Drama) for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” used the woke buzz word “allies” twice in her speech. She still didn’t make A Serious Statement beyond sharing her heartfelt thanks for being able to raise the profile of Native Americans on screen.

That message proved heartfelt and connected deeply to the Martin Scorsese film.

Now, will the Oscars follow the trail blazed by the Globes, or will host Jimmy Kimmel eschew Koy’s apolitical spirit and chase more viewers away come March 12?

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