The 2019 Golden Globes Opening Monologue Was Woke and, Actually, Nice

The 2019 Golden Globes took on a different tone than in recent years. That was largely thanks to Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, who introduced a new awards show tradition: the nice roast. Instead of going with the usual jokes that poke fun at the actors and actresses filling the room, the pair decided to just be brutally nice and dole out compliments to many of their peers.

“Now we know what you guys are thinking: Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, the two nicest people in show business. This thing’s going to be a snooze,” Samberg joked, after telling the audience that “we are going to have some fun. Give out some awards. And one lucky audience member will host the Oscars. Now, some of you may be wondering why the two of us are hosting together.”

“The reason,” Oh added, “is we’re the only two people left in Hollywood who haven’t gotten in trouble for saying something offensive.”

Samberg then proceeded to pretend to tell a racist joke, saying, “Oh, Sandra, that reminds me: Do you know what race of people really gets under my skin? The Hollywood half marathon because it messes up all the traffic, you know?”

They then turned toward Spike Lee, who’s nominated for best director for BlacKkKlansman. “Well if it isn’t Spike Lee? Mr. Do the Right Thing,” Samberg said. “Well, I’ll tell you who does the right thing: You as a director. Lifetime fan. Can’t wait to see what you do next—bam.”

Next up was Bradley Cooper. “Bradley Cooper, you’re hot,” Oh said, to which Samberg added, “Damn. This is live on television. No take backs.”

One thing they did poke fun at, though, was Cooper’s A Star Is Born costar Lady Gaga, who has been reciting different versions of the same “100 people in a room quote” all press-circuit long. “It just proves,” Oh said, “I’m just coming up with this now—that there can be 100 people in a room and 99 don’t believe in you and you just need one to believe in you and that was Bradley Cooper.”

When it came to nodding to this year’s wide-ranging Golden Globes nominees, Oh and Samberg halted their jokes. Instead, they celebrated the diversity in the room. (Well, not before Emma Stone added a punch line to Oh’s line, “Crazy Rich Asians is nominated tonight for best picture. It’s the first studio film with an Asian lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha,” by screaming, “I’m sorry!”)

“I know we’re up here joking, but on a serious note,” Samberg said, “This year we saw incredible work like Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, If Beale Street Could Talk, Roma, Pose, BlacKkKlansman, and they’re not just here tonight because they resonated with audiences that Hollywood often ignores. They told stories that resonated with everyone, and that is truly a beautiful thing.”

Oh echoed that sentiment, genuinely moved. “If I could take a moment here in all honesty, I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change,” she said. “I’m not fooling myself. Next year could be different, it probably will be. But right now, this moment is real. Trust me, it is real, because I see you and I see you—all these faces of change. And, now, so will everyone else.”