Masturbation jokes, ill-timed “Black Panther” references, debatable wins and memes-in-the-making all stole the show at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 76th Golden Globe Awards. The 2019 awards season was kickstarted on Sunday, Jan. 6, with the ever-fun, alcohol-filled awards show hosted by “Grey’s Anatomy” star Sandra Oh and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” comedian Andy Samberg. While the night adopted a much more playful tone compared to last year’s black-tie, politically charged broadcast focused on the #MeToo movement, the 76th Golden Globes wasn’t without its own subtle comments and political agenda (and, of course, the most recent pop culture references).
Before the night even began, a meme was born when “A Star is Born” actress and singer Lady Gaga was interviewed on the red carpet by Entertainment Tonight. Her custom powder blue Valentino gown was a striking resemblance to Judy Garland’s dress in the 1954 version of the movie, and when asked about it, Gaga’s baffled, blubbering response instantly became an ultra-relatable meme all over Twitter. Didn’t know about that first quiz in your business class? Your reaction might look a little like Lady Gaga’s.
On a more serious note, Andy Samberg made a poorly received racial joke regarding the highly acclaimed movie “Black Panther.” The comedian teased, “If you told me as a kid, growing up in the Bay, there’d be a movie called ‘Black Panther’ that starts off in Oakland, this is not what I would have imagined.” He then referenced Ryan Coogler, the movie’s writer and director, saying, “Ryan, were there, like, a bunch of old members of the actual Black Panther Party saying, ‘I can’t even get an audition?’” While there were some laughs, the joke later faced backlash on social media, as expected, and the awkward zoom on Ryan Coogler’s unamused face didn’t help to diffuse the situation.
Most viewers agreed that Sandra Oh killed it as hostess, and her jokes certainly were met with more laughter from the audience. When introducing the stars of NBC’s drama “This Is Us,” for example, she made a shocking quip saying, “Break out the tissues, because you’re going to want to masturbate to all of them!” But Oh’s night went beyond just hosting. She won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series–Drama for her role in “Killing Eve,” making her the first Asian-American actor to win multiple Golden Globes (she previously won for her supporting role in “Grey’s Anatomy”). She was also the first female, Asian-American actor to host the prestigious award show, and she even commented on the diversity by acclaiming, “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted…to look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change.” After winning, Oh thanked her parents in Korean and bowed during her touching acceptance speech.
Other notable wins went to “Bohemian Rhapsody” for Best Motion Picture–Drama and its starring actor, “Mr. Robot’s” Rami Malek, for his role as Freddy Mercury. While the film was a hit among audiences and in the box offices, critics didn’t view the movie so lightly, claiming it was an insult to Mercury and his sexuality. The other Best Motion Picture Award, for the comedy or musical category, went to the controversial racial dramedy “Green Book,” starring Mahershala Ali (another winner from the night) and Viggo Mortensen (you know him as the ladies’ man Aragorn in “Lord of the Rings”). The film is now facing some backlash for being historically inaccurate, even being disowned by one of the families about which the movie was made.
Whether you watched on Sunday for the glitzy gowns, the forced jokes or the actual movies and awards, one thing is clear: the 76th Golden Globes was met with mixed reviews on almost every front. As the first awards ceremony of the season, it usually sets the stage—pun intended—for the rest of the shows. So the only question that remains is what will happen during the remainder of the season—and who will host the Oscars.
