Golden Globes Host Awarded with Criticism

Ricky Gervais, the creator of the original version of The Office, may not be well known in the U.S. for his humor, but he showed exactly what it was all about at the Golden Globes Sunday night. He was chosen to host the awards show, and the heat was on for the stars who he decided to roast in his monologue and throughout the show. In fact, fellow screenwriter Jon Hurwitz Tweeted during the show, "After watching the Golden Globes, we now know what a Comedy Central Roast would feel like with humorless people in the audience." Gervais elicited gasps and frowns from many in the audience, who perhaps felt uncomfortable that the jibes went too far. He targeted the likes of Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and even The Tourist for bombing at theaters - Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie were obviously not impressed. Hugh Hefner also got the Gervais treatment. As he referenced the show The Walking Dead, Gervais said, 'Talking of the walking dead, congratulations to Hugh Hefner, who is getting married at age 84 to 24-year-old beauty Crystal Harris. When asked why she was marrying him, she said, 'He lied about his age. I thought he was 94.' Calm down. Just don't look at it when you touch it." The octogenarian fired back on Twitter, writing, "It's ironic that living with 3 young girls prompted a hit TV show, but marrying one prompts humor. Age is just a number." No response from Cruise or Travolta, who were obviously the subject of one of the more cruel digs of the evening: '[In] I Love You Phillip Morris Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor pretend to be gay ... the opposite of some famous Scientologists, then. My lawyers helped with that joke." The president of the Hollywood Foreign Press and Golden Globes chief - who also was the butt of a Gervais joke - told the Hollywood Reporter Gervais "definitely crossed a line." Phillip Berk said, "Any of the references to individuals is certainly not something the Hollywood Foreign Press condones." Gervais probably shouldn't count on getting the job next year. "Mr. Gervais's jibes at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association divided the room," claimed the New York Times. "It was Mr Gervais's second chance to host the Golden Globes; he may not get a third."