WATCH: Golden Globes opener ‘awkwardness’ pokes at HFPA racism
Heather Hamilton
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The 80th annual Golden Globe Awards was broadcast on NBC Tuesday night with host Jerrod Carmichael immediately addressing criticism over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity in years past.
“I’ll tell you why I’m here,” Carmichael said in his opening monologue. “I’m here ‘cause I’m black. I’ll catch everyone in the room up. 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.”
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Carmichael sat on the stage’s steps and detailed how he struggled over the decision to host when offered the opportunity, reiterating he was only asked “because I’m black.” He disclosed his compensation for the gig and alluded to advice he received from a female friend he called Avery, who “represents every black person in America.”
“I said, ‘It’s not about the money, honestly. It’s about the moral question,’” Carmichael said. “She said, ‘Jerrod, enough all that — how much are they paying you?’ And I said, ‘$500,000.’ And she said, ‘Boy, if you don’t put on a good suit and take them white people money….’ And I kind of forget that where I’m from, we all live by a strict take-the-money mentality. I bet black informants for the FBI in the ’60s, their families were still proud of them.”
Those in the audience were unsure about how to respond to Carmichael’s opening monologue.
Writer Philip Lewis suggested “the feeling of discomfort and awkwardness in the room during Jerrod Carmichael’s monologue could probably power a country.”
Carmichael also said that he was the first black host in 79 years, acknowledging that he had more leverage than previous hosts based on his race. He called himself “unfire-able.”
NBC declined to air the ceremony in 2022 due to criticism regarding diverse representation within the HFPA. In 2021, the awards were postponed for nearly two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The HFPA has also faced scrutiny over accusations that former President Philip Berk sexually assaulted The Whale actor Brendan Fraser in 2003. Fraser did not attend the Golden Globes Tuesday.
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In December, the HFPA announced reforms that included 200 voters with greater diversity, including black, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern representation.