After the Golden Globe Awards didn’t air on television in 2022, they were back on NBC in 2023 with Jerrod Carmichael as host. The first couple of awards were emotional, with Ke Huy Quan winning Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Everything Everywhere All At Once with a speech reflecting on how far he’s come since starring in Temple of Doom and Angela Bassett making history with a Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture win for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Then the show got sillier when The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge took the stage for what turned out to more or less be a comedy monologue, but some viewers weren’t happy about it as the show continued.
Jennifer Coolidge had the audience of celebrities and other industry pros in stitches at the Golden Globes, as she came onto the stage in her sparkling Dolce & Gabbana dress to present… after telling a long (and relatable) story about originally being nervous to present because she thought she’d trip and fall. She joked that it was suggested that she wear Crocs to avoid falling, and went into concerns about mispronouncing celeb names (shouting out Bill Nighy and Kaley Cuoco specifically). She had nearly four minutes before presenting the award for Best Supporting Actor in Musical-Comedy Or Drama Series to Abbott Elementary’s Tyler James Williams, and everybody seemed to love it.
At the time, fan reactions on social media seemed positive to Coolidge getting the time to turn her ramble into something pretty hilarious; in the minutes that followed, however, some viewers took issue with how much time she got. When the Golden Globe for Best Song in a Motion Picture was awarded to M.M. Keeravani for “Vaatu Vaatu” in RRR, his speech was cut short and the music played him off, and he was just the first of several winners who were played off before they could finish their speeches.
Now, it’s of course not Jennifer Coolidge’s fault that the music to play winners off started when it did, but some viewers took to Twitter to comment on her getting nearly four minutes as a presenter with winners being cut off. @AreyouthereZod posted after Keeravani was cut off:
Listen, I like Jennifer Coolidge but if she can go out there and monologue for 5 minutes before even presenting nominees, people can finish their speeches #GoldenGlobes
In the wake of winners getting their speeches cut short, certain opinions about how funny the monologue actually was started to turn a lot more negative. @dani_marie21 didn’t hold back with what they had to say:
Did the #GoldenGlobes really just cut off Naatu Naatu after winning Best Original Song after they let Jennifer Coolidge babble absolute nonsense for what felt like an hour???
The consensus among detractors seems to be more that Coolidge just had too much time, not that there was any problem with her getting some time to crack a few jokes at the Golden Globes. @simonsayssing wrote:
I love Jennifer Coolidge as much as the next gay but you let her talk for approx 15 minutes about nothing and you cut off someone who just won his first golden globe before he even finished his thank you list
The prevailing opinion above all comes across as M.M. Keeravani simply deserving time to make his whole speech, especially given that this win shines a light on RRR as a project that not all viewers from home may have been aware of prior to the Golden Globes. @KelliWessels said:
If Jennifer Coolidge hadn’t rambled on nonsense that lovely man who just won for his song wouldn’t have been played off. He deserved his acceptance time like everyone else. #GoldenGlobes
None of this is to say that Jennifer Coolidge wasn’t a hit with many, with some viewers suggesting that they’re ready to hear the actress host their lives and get more time on screen. There’s no denying that she got a lot of laughs, and Jerrod Carmichael was as excited as anybody when she walked out on stage. I definitely got a kick out of her listing ways that presenting could go wrong when she first took the stage.
In the wake of her character’s shocking ending in The White Lotus Season 2, I think it’s safe to say that – for better or worse – her speech will be one of the most memorable and talked-about moments from the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards! She even got a shout-out from Ryan Murphy in his speech later in the night.
If you missed the awards or just need a refresher on who took home the trophies, take a look at our list of 2023 Golden Globes winners! You can also find some upcoming viewing options on our 2023 TV premiere schedule, and check out Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus with an HBO Max subscription.
