It was the last time Ricky Gervais was hosting a Golden Globes event and in true Ricky Gervais style, he didn’t pull any punches and delivered an epic monologue that will be talked about for years to come.
His 8-minute monologue at the opening of the 77th Golden Globes awards ceremony on January 5 spared practically no one. From the point of view of someone watching, it was certainly hilarious to see various big names in Hollywood practically squirming in their seats and it must have felt warm even through the airconditioning at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Hollywood.
It was obvious that Gervais was going to go the controversial route after he popped off a joke regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.
He threw the punchline after announcing a second season for the series After Life where the comedian himself plays the lead character, a depressed individual who wanted to kill himself after his wife dies of cancer.
Gervais joked: “So in the end, he didn’t kill himself – just like Jeffrey Epstein.”
To the audience’s groans, he retorted: “Shut up, I don’t care. I know he was your friend.”
It was clear the guests weren’t sure how to react with the best “performance” going to Tom Hanks.
Gervais also took potshots at the cast of The Irishman, saying: “So lots of big celebrities here tonight. I mean, legend, icons, yeah? This table alone: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Baby Yoda … Oh, that’s Joe Pesci! I love you, man; don’t have me whacked.”
But he wasn’t to be outdone yet, adding: “Look, talking of all you perverts, it was a big year for pedophile films – Surviving R. Kelly, Leaving Neverland, The Two Popes…”
The awards ceremony itself wasn’t spared: “Everyone’s watching Netflix. This show should just be me coming out, ‘You win everything, Netflix, good night.’ No, we drag it out three hours!
“You could binge-watch After Life instead of watching this show. That’s a show about a man who wants to kill himself because his wife dies of cancer – and it’s still more fun than this.”
Even one of Hollywood’s biggest stars wasn’t safe: “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was nearly three hours long. Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere, and by the end, his date was too old for him.”
But perhaps one of the most important punchlines Gervais delivered was the way he called out the performers about mixing their politics and their craft, saying: “So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech, right? You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything.
You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. If you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your god, and f*** off.”
Truly, it was one night to remember!
Replaced!