Nikki Glaser has revealed her reasoning for steering clear of political material whilst hosting the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday evening.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show on Tuesday, the 41-year-old comedian, who earned widespread praise for her second consecutive stint as host, addressed why her opening monologue contained no political barbs.
“It’s not funny,” she stated plainly.
The comedian disclosed she had considered making a subtle reference to immigration enforcement, telling Stern: “I was going to come in at some point and say, ‘I’m hearing from the bar that we’re out of ice. And you know, we don’t really need ice. And actually, I hate ice.'”
Nikki Glaser shared her reason for avoiding political jokes at the event
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However, she ultimately felt even that approach seemed “too trivial” given current circumstances.
“I just don’t wanna give it space,” Ms Glaser explained regarding her decision not to mention President Trump by name.
Steve Martin, the comedy legend, contributed a joke for Ms Glaser’s consideration that referenced the President, though he subsequently recommended she abandon it.
“[My writer] said, ‘Hey, Steve sent in a joke.’ And he read it to me,” Ms Glaser recounted during the interview. “And later on he said, ‘Steve said don’t do that. It’s not the right tone for the night.’ And he was right.”
Ariana Grande was among the celebrities who wore pins bearing the slogans “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” as a demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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The discarded material centred on the recent renaming of Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, which the board of trustees unanimously voted to rebrand as The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts last month.
“It was some version of ‘I just got back from D.C. from performing at the Trump Kennedy Center,'” Ms Glaser recalled of Martin’s submission.
Ms Glaser also revealed she had prepared a joke playing on the names of nominees Martin Short, Jeremy Allen White and Gary Oldman, observing that “short, white, old men are also most of the actors nominated tonight.”
“And that was just cut because it felt too woke,” she told Stern. “It was clever, but it wasn’t funny.”
Nikki Glaser referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s celebrity connections without naming him directly
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Despite avoiding overtly political content, the host did take aim at two subjects that have dominated headlines.
During her monologue at the Beverly Hilton, she referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s celebrity connections without naming him directly, quipping about “A-listers” being “people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted” and awarding “best editing” to the Justice Department.
She also targeted CBS News, the ceremony’s broadcaster, joking it was “America’s newest place to see BS news.”
Whilst Ms Glaser maintained an apolitical stance from the stage, several attendees used the red carpet to voice their views on current affairs.
Nikki Glaser addressed why her opening monologue contained no political barbs
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Nominee Mark Ruffalo, winner Jean Smart and presenter Wanda Sykes were among those who spoke about political matters before the ceremony began.
These stars, along with Ariana Grande and Natasha Lyonne, wore pins bearing the slogans “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” as a demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The protest accessories appeared days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
Critics noted the ceremony was markedly less political than in previous years, with Trump’s name going unmentioned by Glaser, presenters or award recipients throughout the broadcast.