Host Jerrod Carmichael was “brutally honest” about the Golden Globes’ racist past. The awards ceremony was cancelled last year in the wake of revelations that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, as Carmichael put it, “didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died.” As the host of this year’s returning event, he had the job of both making the audience laugh and being upfront about the organization’s lack of diversity and outright corruption. He delivered, from opening with “I’m here because I’m Black,” to saying he took the job for the paycheck. For Black viewers (not that there were many) his approach resonated: “Carmichael didn’t seem to care if anybody in the room laughed, or if he was ever invited back to host the show (which he made sure he absolutely will not be). Carmichael’s priority seemed to be speaking to the Black folks watching, telling the truth, and giving moments that made us gasp.” (Refinery29)
