The Host Who Stole The Show…Then Set It On Fire

When British comedian Ricky Gervais hosted the 77^th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony on January 5^th, Hollywood had no idea what it was in for. Gervais said he didn’t know why the network picked him as host for five years, but this was his last year, and he just didn’t care anymore.

He proved his statement by delivering an opening monologue that roasted everyone from A-list celebrities to Amazon, Apple, and the movie industry in general. In an unprecedented televised speech, this Brit showed more American patriotism than any registered Democrat. At one point, he said that the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself. He responded to the crowd’s groans with “Shut up, I know he’s your friend but I don’t care.”

During Gervais’s monologue, female attendees either looked like they tried to laugh at the end of each joke or like they were determined to not let his barbed humor ruin their night. After all, they had spent most of the day and way too much money getting their hair and makeup done. Their evening gowns perfectly matched their lip color, even though neither of these accouterments allowed them to take a full bite of their meal. That was to their benefit, though, as the meal was entirely vegan.

Two weeks before the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to serve a plant-based meal in an effort to raise awareness about environmental sustainability. Apparently, they didn’t know that once an animal is humanely harvested, another animal can be grown to take its place. Single-use plastic items were also eliminated from the event, replaced by single-use designer gowns. No environmental resources were actually conserved during the ceremony, even though all 1,300 attendees were subjected to eating mushrooms as an entree.

Gervais’s unexpected monologue is a welcome spot of truth and levity in the midst of an otherwise unsettling news cycle. Impending war with Iran (or threats issued from the Middle East to spread unrest…we’re not certain yet) and devastating wildfires that engulf much of Australia dominate the headlines. And rightfully so; it’s important to know the larger issues that are taking place on both domestic and foreign soil.

But it sure is heartening to see someone take a highly visible platform and wield the full force of his might on a deserving villain. Especially when the villain is a roomful of privileged liberals almost entirely disconnected from real America. Watching Gervais irreverently take major corporations and A-list actors out at the knees was like watching William Wallace lead the Scottish warriors in a battlefield charge in Braveheart. Incidentally, that movie earned Mel Gibson the Golden Globes award for Best Director in 1996.

Both Gervais and Wallace inspired viewers to rise up and say “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!” Wallace’s followers used swords and daggers while Gervais’s supporters stormed Twitter, but the overall sentiment was the same: It’s about time someone stood up to the man and said what everyone else was thinking.