Golden Globe hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made multiple references to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity among its members in their opening monologue on Sunday night.
In explaining to attendees what the HFPA is and how it chooses winners for the Golden Globes, Fey said the organization is made up of “90 international no-Black journalists.” Later on, in describing the plot of the Pixar film “Soul,” she said it was about a Black man’s soul that gets knocked out of his body and into a cat. “The HFPA really responded to this movie because they do have five cat members.”
She and Poehler later made a more serious direct address to the HFPA, saying that people are understandably upset with the organization. “A number of Black actors and Black-led projects were overlooked,” Poehler said. Fey followed up by saying that even at “stupid things” like award shows, “inclusivity is important, and there are no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press. I realize, HFPA, maybe you guys didn’t get the memo because your workplace is the back booth of a French McDonalds, but you gotta change that.”
Other topics in the pair’s sights at the show’s opening included the fact they are broadcasting from New York and Los Angeles, with Fey in the former city and Poehler in the latter. Fey welcomed viewers to New York, “Where indoor dining and outdoor muggings are back!”
Poehler also joked about what qualifies as a movie or a show this year, since movie theaters were largely closed. “TV is the one that I watch five hours straight, but a movie is the one that I don’t turn on because its two hours. I don’t want to be in front of the TV for two hours, I want to be in front of the TV for one hour five times.”
Check out Variety‘s full list of Golden Globe winners as it is updated live.