Did Golden Globes host Seth Meyers strike the right balance of celebrating the best in movies and TV this past year while addressing Hollywood and beyond’s ongoing sexual abuse and harassment crisis on Sunday night?
I’m going with mostly yes starting with his strong opening.
“Good evening ladies and REMAINING gentlemen!” began Meyers.
“Happy new year Hollywood! It’s 2018 – marijuana is finally allowed and sexual harassment finally isn’t.”
The reckoning of such Hollywood heavyweights as Harvey Weinstein, to name one of dozens of men alleged to have been abusive, was revealed only a few months ago and has resulted in both the #metoo and #timesup movements.
So Meyers, the current Late Night with Seth Meyers host and previous anchor and writer of Weekend Update on SNL, knew what he was up against when he accepted the gig.
“There’s a new era underway and I can tell because it’s been years since a white man was this nervous in Hollywood,” said Meyers.
“By the way, a special hello to hosts of other upcoming awards shows who are watching me tonight – (it feels) like the first dog they shot into outer space! For the male nominees this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name out loud.”
Good thing Meyers has the smarts to deal with current events in a way that never seemed too inappropriate.
“This is a tricky year,” admitted Neil Patrick Harris, who’s hosted the Oscars, Tonys and Emmys previously, on the E! red carpet.
“Is a Harvey Weinstein joke appropriate right now? It’ll be interesting.”
Turns out it might not have been given the boos that greeted Meyers’ mention of his name inside the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton.
“Harvey Weinstein isn’t here tonight because I hear he’s crazy and difficult to work with,” said Meyers. “But don’t worry he’ll be back in 20 years when he becomes the first person booed during the inmemorian. … Just like that.”
Meyers mention of Kevin Spacey, also widely accused of sexual abuse by many men, also didn’t go over well.
“I was happy to hear they’re going to do another season of House Of Cards – is Christopher Plummer available for that too?,” said Meyers referencing Plummer replacing Spacey’s previously filmed part in the film, All The Money In The World.
“ I hope he can do a southern accent ‘cause Kevin Spacey sure couldn’t. Oh, was that too mean? To Kevin Spacey?”
Meyers said while some people thought it might be more appropriate for a woman to host the Golden Globes given the current climate he argued, “if it’s any consolation I’m a man with absolutely no power in Hollywood. I’m not even the most powerful Seth in the room.”
Meyers pointed to Vancouver actor-writer Seth Rogen: “Hey, remember when HE was the guy making trouble with North Korea? Simpler times.”
This was the first of a couple of digs at U.S. President Donald Trump that Meyers would make.
“Give it up for the Hollywood Foreign Press – a string of three words that could not have been better designed to infuriate our president,” said Meyers. “The only name that would make him angrier would be the Hillary Mexico Salad Association.”