Golden Globes 2023 opening: Jerrod Carmichael talks HFPA drama

Golden Globes 2023

Entering tonight’s 2023 broadcast of the Golden Globes, our expectations were high largely for one simple reason: Jerrod Carmichael. The acclaimed comedian had a chance to deliver an outstanding opening, one that catered to many different things.

Of course, Carmichael started off with a zinger: “I’m here because I’m Black.” He immediately went into why the show didn’t air on NBC last year, or that the Hollywood Foreign Press did not have a Black voting member until after the death of George Floyd. He discussed how he got the call to become the host for the show and all of the issues that came along with it. There was a real authenticity to what he had to say here, but also humor — plenty of humor. Take, for example, a phone call that convinced him to do it. He disclosed in here that he was paid $500,000 for the gig; a pretty good reason to take the job, no?

We do think that there are some people out there who are still getting to know Carmichael, even though he had an NBC sitcom in the past and hosted Saturday Night Live. This was a very different sort of showcase to start off the show than what we’ve seen in the past — Jerrod did not point out any individual celebrities. This was not some sort of extensive roast of the people in attendance. Basically, this was not a reprisal of what Ricky Gervais did in the past.

If you like Jerrod’s sense of humor, this was probably exactly what you wanted and then some. It was more low-key than what we saw in the past, and that was precisely the point. He had total command of the room, and that is a great sign for everything else we could be seeing as we move forward.

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What did you think about the big opening for Jerrod Carmichael at the Golden Globes tonight?

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