Ricky Gervais was the perfect host for the naughty, always controversial Golden Globes. Who better than the industry’s Class Clown to roast Hollywood’s minions, power brokers and A-Listers?
Yes, he took on some heavy hitters with his roasting ripostes, but who really disagreed with some of his more outrageous parries?
Scientology, payola, box office bombs and geriatric marriages were but a few of the targets during the award show’s unfolding. And he did go a little far with some of his Brit humor involving bodily functions. But aren’t the British known for loving their commode humor?
So what did the critics expect when Gervais showed up again onstage, with body a tad more toned and tongue sharpened to a point? Audience reaction to some of his racier dissing-the-industry banter was uproariously positive. Need proof? Just find the clip with Robert DeNiro laughing so hard his features crinkled like a wrinkly dog and his eyebrows met in the middle of his face.
The Golden Globes, always considered Oscar’s poor cousin, has even created some controversy of its own this year, thanks to the payola scandal. Perfect! More publicity for the show, which never fails to attract an audience eager to see sloshed stars bumping into one another. It’s the New Year’s Eve party the hoi polloi can merely dream of, with all those bejeweled and dazzling beautiful people so far removed from us mere mortals. There’s Demi! There’s Nicole! Omigod, it’s Tom Hanks! Bruce Willis! All hanging out and rubbing elbows with Man of the Hour Michael Douglas!
So guess what? The highlight of the show wasn’t seeing whose gown pregnant Natalie Portman would wear. Or counting the number of green prom dresses worn by the fabulously coiffed. It wasn’t even important to see how many stars’ speeches would be cut off paying homage to DeNiro (talking to you, Christian Bale).
The true star of the show was on the arm of the always-gracious and gorgeous Catherine Zeta Jones.
The most important award of the evening fell to Michael Douglas, whose presence must have melted the most hardened of Hollywood hearts.
And he deserved every second of that standing O.
Welcome back Michael, and congratulations on your spectacular win. May you wear it in good health.
