The 83rd annual Golden Globes took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
And as expected, recent developments outside of the entertainment world were obliquely acknowledged by host Nikki Glaser and several of the night’s presenters and honorees.
As usual, there was no in memoriam segment — a common feature at other award shows — but Glaser concluded the evening by paying tribute to Rob Reiner, who was murdered alongside his wife last month.
Wearing a cap referencing Reiner’s directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap, Glaser wrapped up the show by alluding to one of the film’s most famous lines.
“That’s our show. This one went to 11,” she said, adding:
“Thank you guys for an amazing night, and I hope we found the line between clever and stupid.”
Few figures in Hollywood were more beloved than Reiner, but the Globes are regarded as one of Hollywood’s most fun, lighthearted events, so it was wise of Glaser to hold her tribute until the end.
That doesn’t mean, however, that she steered clear of uncomfortable topics all night.
In fact, Glaser kicked things off with a monologue in which she blasted her host network, CBS, for recent controversial changes within its news division.
“The award for most editing goes to CBS News. Yes. CBS news: America’s newest place to see B.S. news,” the comic joked.
Given the current state of the world, it’s virtually impossible to host an event like the Globes without some mention of recent political developments.
Wanda Sykes, for example, refused to hold back while presenting the award for Best Stand-Up Comedy on Television, slamming winner Ricky Gervais for his comments regarding the trans community.
And several attendees, including Mark Ruffalo, wore pins reading “ICE Out” and “Be Good,” both referrring to the recent shooting death of Renee Good, a Minneapolis mom who was killed by an ICE agent.
“This is for Renee Nicole Goode, who was murdered,” Ruffalo told USA Today on the red carpet, adding:
“We’re in the middle of a war with Venezuela that we illegally invaded. He’s telling the world that international law doesn’t matter to him. The only thing that matters to him is his own morality, but the guy is a convicted felon; a convicted rapist.
Given that last night’s Golden Globes were the first to honor podcast hosts, many wondered if there would be any tribute paid to Charlie Kirk, a podcaster who was shot and killed in Utah in September.
There was no mention of Kirk, which is not terribly surprising, as he had no direct ties to the entertainment industry, and, again, there was no in memoriam segment.
Today, Glaser is being praised not only for her blistering monologue but for comedic segments that included a mashup of Marty Supreme and KPop Demon Hunters.
It’s not easy to deliver laughs while also acknowledging the current darkness in our world, but somehow, Nikki pulled it off once again.