Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, positioned on opposite sides of the country, kicked off the 78th Golden Globe on Sunday with comments on the unusual format of the pandemic-era broadcast and the renewed scrutiny of the organization behind the show.
“Usually this room is full of celebrities, but today our audience on both shores is made up of rescuers and essential workers,” said Fey of the Rainbow Room in New York. “We are very grateful for the work you do and for being here, so that celebrities can stay safely at home.”
The coronavirus crisis forced Golden Globe producers to broadcast largely online, with nominees being broadcast from their homes and hotel rooms via Zoom. Poehler, speaking to a small audience at the Beverly Hilton in California, toyed with the reminder that the ceremony is typically a relaxed, champagne-filled party.
The co-hosts, presented on a split screen, also nodded to the recent criticisms of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the small organization of international journalists who vote for nominees and winners – that is, the fact that the group does not have a single black member.
“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is made up of about 90 international non-black journalists who attend film meetings every year in search of a better life,” said Fey. “We say about 90 because some of them may be ghosts and it is rumored that the German member is just a sausage that someone drew a small face on.”
In the first 30 minutes of the show, which aired on NBC, three members of the group appeared on stage and pledged to diversify their ranks.
“We recognize that we have our own work to do. As in film and television, black representation is vital. We must have black journalists in our organization,” said Helen Hoehne, vice president of HFPA.
Meher Tatna, chairman of the board, added: “We must also ensure that everyone from all under-represented communities has a seat at our table, and we will make that happen.”
In a notable technical flaw, the night’s first winner – Daniel Kaluuya of “Judas and the Black Messiah” – began giving his acceptance speech with the sound off. Presenter Laura Dern apologized to Kaluuya, who won the award for best supporting actor for his part as the leader of the Black Panthers, Fred Hampton.
But then Kaluuya’s sound played. He jokingly waved his finger at the camera and said, “You are getting me dirty!”
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