Is Hollywood Still Allowed To Have Fun At The Golden Globes Amidst Its Controversies? Host Seth Meyers Says Yes
As the host of his own late night television show that often pokes fun at America's political erring (including the US President's many "moments"), wisecracking Seth Meyers is no stranger to tackling subject matter that would otherwise not lend itself to jokes.
He's armed with the abilities to inform his audience of an issue's significance and urgency and inject his own brand of intelligent, well-written humor amidst the roasting. By the time his show's closing credits roll, he's essentially lifted people's spirits and changed their perspective from pitch black to cloudy gray, or on a good day, even dirty white.
With his expertise, Seth became the man for the not so enviable task of hosting the 75th Golden Globes — the first of 2018's series of Hollywood award shows, and the first to be executed after the Harvey Weinstein et al. scandals shook Tinseltown to its core.
The Golden Globes has a reputation for being one of Hollywood's more lighthearted events. Think of it as glitzier, swankier set up of a comedy club, or perhaps the less uptight and more laid back cousin of the Oscars. How do you maintain an atmosphere of merrymaking and celebration of big and small screen talent, while also addressing the massive, un-ignorable elephant in the room that has a cast a shadow on Hollywood?
In an interview done by the New York Times with the veteran comedian, Seth says that it's still all about focusing on the brighter side of things.
“We’re in this situation right now where some people, very clearly, crossed a line and making fun of those people should feel like a positive thing,” Seth says.
“It seems like this moment should be a moment of optimism,” he continues.
Without discounting the seriousness of the big reveal of the rampancy sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood, Seth believes that this could be a golden opportunity to help take away the stigma of such sensitive topics through humor. But "humor" in this context doesn't mean laughing at the situation to downplay it. It means calling out the guilty by their name via witty jokes, mocking their enablers for turning a blind eye through deadpan delivery, and helping victims heal by letting them know that we are unequivocally on their side.
Furthermore, the 44-year-old father of two admits that it was a challenge to decide on which tone to take for his opening monologue and segues during the three-hour show. Do they keep it light? Do they treat it with utmost seriousness? Talking it over with his 10-strong writing staff, they decided on the former. The reason for which he thoughtfully articulated:
"Let’s not let these people who have done terrible things, or a culture that’s allowed these terrible things, to cloud the fact that people have also done excellent work and that’s what the night’s for,” he told the New York Times.
The men behind Hollywood's greatest shake up may have been its most celebrated at one point, and now that they're gone, the party shouldn't die with them. No one says Hollywood can't have fun without them. That privilege is not theirs to enjoy, and never was. The party is for the people who have positively impacted the industry and the rest of the world through their talent and hard work — a way of thinking that was surprisingly buried deep in the Hollywood haystack and is just now being restored.
At the end of the day, as a friend to many women in and out of the workplace and husband to successful human rights attorney Alexi Ashe, hosting a historically and culturally significant Golden Globes was a challenge that this funny man with substance willingly accepted.
With his passions and his convictions, it becomes clear that Seth was the only man fit for the job. No one could have possibly been a better choice to steer one of Hollywood's most anticipated and redefining moments in the right direction.
Now, all that's left to do is wait for what Seth has up sleeve, and let him rip (our sides with laughter, that is).
The 75th Golden Globes air on January 7, 2018, at 8pm ET/5 p.m. PST. Follow Metro.Style on Instagtam, Facebook, and Twitter to see live updates of the event.
Cover and content images from @nbc
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