So I guess that the third time is the charm. Sunday night, Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes for the third straight year. It was the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards. Gervais managed to drop an ‘f-bomb’ on Sunday night, late in the show, as he introduced Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, who were coming on stage to present an award. The word was bleeped out though.
“They’re ridiculously gorgeous specimens, they’re extremely talented and probably very interesting,” Gervais declared. “I’m not sure,” he went on, as censors instantly bleeped out the rest of his wisecrack, which declared, “I couldn’t understand a (expletive) word they said.”
After the dropping of the ‘f-bomb,’ Gervais appeared on stage with a wine glass in his hand. He proclaimed that it was excellent to have a job that permits you to drink and say whatever you please and then still receive a paycheck. The monologue for Gervais did not shock and awe as in the previous two years but it included a couple of barbs.
“Nervous? Don’t be,” he said. “Tonight you get Britain’s biggest comedian, hosting the world’s second-biggest awards show on America’s third-biggest network.” He then corrected his mistake: “It’s fourth.”
“The Golden Globes are to the Oscars,” he explained, “what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton — a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought — allegedly.”
Being invited back for a third year as the host of the program seemed in doubt after Gervais insulted almost everyone he saw in the audience during his second year as the host. The invite was not as surprising though because the Golden Globes tries to court behavior that borders on the outrageous. Gervais explained that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association warned him that if he should insult anyone in attendance or “offend any viewers, or cause any controversy whatsoever — they’ll definitely invite me back next year as well.”
Gervais then decided to praise one of the nominated series from HBO, ‘Boardwalk Empire.’
“I love that show,” he said. “It’s about a load of immigrants who came to America about a hundred years ago, and they got involved in bribery and corruption and worked their way up into high society. But enough about the Hollywood Foreign Press.”
The only person who dared to challenge the outspoken host was Madonna. Gervais described Madonna, who was presenting, as “just like a virgin,” before he started coughing.
Madonna quickly shot back at Gervais: “If I’m still just like a virgin, Ricky, then why don’t you come over here and do something about it? I haven’t kissed a girl in a few years — on TV.”
One of the cameras caught Gervais funnily running off the stage.