Cookies for everyone, Sly’s thankless speech and the Washington’s #relationship goals were some of the most talked and tweeted about moments of the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards, which took place last night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Host Ricky Gervais did his regular shtick of insulting the famous people in the room at their own expense and droning on about how long the show was and how unimportant the honored tradition of handing out trophies to celebrities really is. And of course he managed to get a Bill Cosby dig in, when introducing Mel Gibson (whom he thoroughly insulted at the Globes three years ago) by saying he’d rather have a drink in a hotel room with Gibson rather than Cosby. (Yikes!)

Meanwhile, the rest of the awards could best be summed up as a menagerie of mixed feelings.  Yes, we were a bit let down when some of our hopeful nominees (Uzo Aduba, Regina King, Queen Latifah, Idris Elba, Will Smith) all lost in their respective categories. But there were also some iconic moments that made us cheer, smile and stick Black fists proudly into the air. So let’s run it: The highs and the lows of last night’s Golden Globes.

THE HIGHS

Taraji’s Cookies

Taraji P. Henson took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama for her role as Cookie Lyon on Empire. Just to drive the point home that Cookie is right where she’s supposed to be, as Henson made her way to the stage to collect her award she handed out real cookies to her Hollywood peers. And once she got up on the stage she wasn’t about to allow some orchestra to play her off. She halted all that mess saying, “I’ve waited 20 years for this.  You gon’ wait,” and they did.

She also threw a little shade at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, thanking them for giving her an award for playing Cookie, and not one of her other roles who weren’t drug dealing, convicted felons, but who’s counting. “I thought it would be Queenie [her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button],” Henson said. “I thought it would be my character from Karate Kid. But it’s Cookie, who spent 17 years in jail for selling crack. Okay!”

Denzel’s acceptance speech

Denzel Washington was honored for his amazing body of work with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Tom Hanks, who presented the trophy, summed it up calling Washington the actor of our generation. The package showing his body of work more than proved why Washington was receiving the honor, but it was his attempt to deliver an acceptance speech that proved why we love him and his beautiful wife Pauletta’s love.

The millions of us watching were privy to a real moment between a couple that’s been married for a long time when the two bantered playfully about needing glasses, and if she could help him read his speech. But she forgot her glasses too, and as he tried to muddle through, you could hear Paulette trying to help him remember what to say. It was so awkwardly cute that it earned the coveted Twitter hashtag #relationshipgoals.

Jamie Foxx pulls a Steve Harvey and also introduces Miss Golden Globe

Jamie Foxx presented the award for Original Score, and in one funny moment, he pulled a Steve Harvey à la Miss Universe when he read the winner as Straight Outta Compton, which wasn’t even nominated.

Foxx joked: “Oh, I’m sorry, folks, it’s right here on the card. I take full responsibility… It’s right here on the card,” then feigned leaving the stage.

Right after making us laugh, Foxx warmed our hearts when he took the honor of introducing Miss Golden Globe (his own beautiful daughter, Corinne Foxx), saying,  “This young lady has never asked me for anything… This young lady has never been in trouble. This young lady deserves this moment. She was here when she was 10 years old… she is Miss Golden Globe. This young lady’s name is Miss Corinne Fox.”

THE LOWS

Sly’s forgetful speech

The excitement in the room when Sylvester Stallone won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Creed was high. He even got a standing O. Stallone began delivering what was turning out to be an amazing speech, but things went south when he thanked everyone from the Foreign Press to his “imaginary friend” Rocky Balboa, but neglected to thank one single Black person involved with the film!

His very award should have prompted him to thank the star of Creed, since he did just win for best supporting actor. But sadly Michael B. Jordan, writer-director Ryan Coogler and co-star Tessa Thompson were all left out of his acceptance speech. And the wind was sucked out of our collective sails. This moment had some famous folks jumping on Twitter to basically say WTF?

 

Not for nothin’, Sly did climb back on stage during a commercial break and thank Coogler, calling him a “brilliant, brilliant filmmaker,” as well as Jordan and co-star Tessa Thompson.

Quentin Tarantino and his “ghetto” remark

Quentin Tarantino has been known for making inappropriate remarks in public before, and in true form, last night at the Golden Globes was no different. His film Hateful Eight received an award for its score and Tarantino clomped onto the stage to accept it on behalf of composer, Ennio Morricone. “Do you realize Ennio Morricone, as far as I’m concerned, is my favorite composer?” Tarantino blabbed, giving indication that maybe he had one too many.

“And when I say favorite composer I don’t mean movie composer, that’s ghetto. I’m talking about Mozart, I’m talking about Beethoven, I’m talking about Schubert, that’s who I’m talking about,”

Oh really? So are you calling Quincy Jones ghetto Mr. Tarantino? Because he has created some of the most renowned scores of this time. Even Jamie Foxx wasn’t having it. As he returned to the stage after presenting the award to Tarantino, he repeated the word “ghetto” with a look of disdain written all over his face. Jamie, come get your friend.

Crystal Shaw King is a seasoned TV, radio and online entertainment writer. She’s also a contributing editor for a social justice foundation in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter @crystalamberbam.

denzel washington
Golden Globes
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Taraji P. Henson