The new decade in entertainment began with the 77th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, which took place on Jan. 5 in Beverly Hills. The award show gave distinctions to the best American films of 2019. Many notable Hollywood actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters, and music composers were present. The event was organized and awards were chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). 

From motion pictures to music composition, 25 of the best performers and directors left with awards. A Marriage Story took the lead in the number of nominations received this year, with six in total. Close behind were films such as The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Joker, and The Two Popes, which received multiple nominations and awards.

Alongside the honorable awards and well-dressed attendees, controversy arose in regard to comments made by the event’s host, Ricky Gervais. He began his dialogue by jokingly saying that this is the fifth and last time he will be hosting the award show, and that NBC clearly does not care about who the hosts are, as demonstrated by his presence. Gervais then went on to take shots at the people of Hollywood, taking his first stab at Felicity Huffman, who was involved in the college scandal of 2019, jokingly stating she was the one who made his license plate. Other famous faces personally targeted in Gervais’ jokes were Leonardo DiCaprio, Harvey Weinstein, and the late Jeffrey Epstein. 

The monologue ended with a more serious tone. He questioned the people of Hollywood who work and partner with companies that have questionable morals, including Disney, Apple, and Amazon. He then called them out on the hypocrisy of their political speeches and urged watchers to make the world a better place. “You say you’re woke, but the companies you work for, unbelievable…” Gervais continued, “If you win an award, don’t make your little political speech. No one cares. You know nothing. Say thank you to your agent and get the f— off stage.” Although the platform at the Golden Globes is seen by the recipients as a place to relay important messages, some see the point Gervais makes.

The rest of his monologue poked fun at Hollywood and the industry, much of it relating to the people at the event. Some argue that is what made the jokes even more controversial. Some called it unnecessary and uncomfortable, while others characterized it as genius and truthful. Some of Hollywood did not appreciate Gervais’s stabs at them; after some of the jokes, viewers could hear the groaning and see wincing of the attendees. The faces that the camera panned to also gave away the discontent of some of the attendees. Others raved about his words, saying it was truthful and refreshing.

Junior Nida Ajmal stated, “I can see why the crowd did not seem that thrilled with Gervais’s hosting, so when I saw the many news articles about it, I was expecting worse.”  Senior Jordanna Swimmer added, “I watch the Golden Globes every year. Ricky could’ve left some things unsaid, but for the most part, it was fine. I saw the first statement about it on my Snapchat.”

Overall, his hosting caught much attention, both positive and negative. Some may wonder how this year’s awards show might affect other shows in the coming years.