Golden Globes 2016: Bleeped words and surprise winners recall the show's rowdy history

By Mary McNamaraCulture Columnist and Critic

Jan. 10, 2016 11:07 PM PT

Los Angeles Times Television Critic

The hardest-working person at Sunday night’s Golden Globes ceremony may have been whoever was in charge of the bleep button.

Never before have the words of so many been heard by so few during a national awards-show telecast.

Shaking off the professional gloss that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler spent the last three years attempting to apply to a ceremony that previously reveled in “surprising” wins, onstage snark and audience mishaps, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has clearly decided to return to its original brand of self-denigrating self-promotion.

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Golden Globe winners, including Rachel Bloom with her Golden Globe for Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical, stop by the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards press room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Sylvester Stallone, winner of Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture for “Creed,” poses in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Kate Winslet accepts her Golden Globe for Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, left, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio pose with awards for Best Motion Picture, Drama; Best Director, Motion Picture; and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for “The Revenant” in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Winner Oscar Isaac for Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Taraji P. Henson in the press room with her Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Matt Damon, winner for Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Producers Mark Pybus, left, Colin Callender and Rebecca Eaton, winners of Miniseries or Television Film for “Wolf Hall,” pose in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jimmy Naples, left, and Sam Smith, winners of the Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for “Writing’s On The Wall” from the movie “Spectre”, at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Aaron Sorkin, winner of Screenplay - Motion Picture for “Steve Jobs” at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Director Laszlo Nemes, center, actor Geza Rohrig, second from left, and other members of the “Son of Saul” team pose with the award for best foreign-language film for “Son of Saul,” in the press room at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jennifer Lawrence won the award for lead actress in a motion picture comedy for “Joy.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Christian Slater took home the prize for actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television, for “Mr. Robot.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Gael Garcia Bernal of “Mozart in the Jungle” wins for actor in a TV series, musical or comedy.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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“Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, center, and the cast pose together after winning the Golden Globe award for best TV series drama.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Maura Tierney holds her Golden Globe for supporting actress in a limited series/TV Movie for “The Affair.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jon Hamm holds his Golden Globe for “Mad Men.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Winners of the best motion picture musical or comedy for “The Martian”: Simon Kinberg, left, Ridley Scott and Michael Schaefer.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Pete Docter, left, and Jonas Rivera, winners of the best animated feature film for “Inside Out.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Lady Gaga with her Golden Globe for actress in a miniseries or a motion picture. She will perform the national anthem at Super Bowl 50.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Gael Garcia Bernal, Bernadette Peters and Lola Kirke share the Golden Globe for TV series comedy for “Mozart in the Jungle.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Which included, apparently, a lot of F-bombs. They began early when Jonah Hill, co-presenting the second award of the night (as “the bear” from the film “The Revenant”; don’t ask), made jokes so profane that half were bleeped.

The profanity muting continued with such increasingly regularity that at least twice it seemed like a “technical difficulty” until they finally peaked, not surprisingly, when host Ricky Gervais introduced Mel Gibson.

After Gervais — who has a history of insulting Gibson — insulted him again (“I’d rather have a drink with Mel in his hotel room than Bill Cosby”), Gibson returned the favor (“I love seeing Ricky every three years or so; it reminds me to get a colonoscopy”). Gervais went back to the stage to embrace Gibson and ask him a question, which was, of course, bleeped from the telecast.

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Comedian and host Ricky Gervais opened the show with jokes that made some laugh hysterically, and others cringe.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for actress in a motion picture comedy for her role in “Joy.” “Every time I’m up here, it’s because of you,” Lawrence said of her director David O. Russell.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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In the final award of the night, Alejandro G. Inarritu accepts the honor for motion picture drama for his film “The Revenant.”

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Brie Larson accepts the award for actress in a motion picture drama for her role in “Room.” After a long list of folks to shout out, she said, “I’m sorry to anyone I forgot, I’ll write you a thank you card.”

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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As Taraji P. Henson walked to the stage to accept her award for actress in a TV drama, she passed out cookies to those around her, including one to Lady Gaga. “Cookies for everyone tonight, my treat,” she said for her winning role playing a character named Cookie in “Empire.” And just as she was asked to wrap up her speech, she refused. “I waited 20 years for this,” Henson said.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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After being announced as a two-time Golden Globe award winner, Jim Carrey made it known that he isn’t just a regular person, he is a two-time Golden Globe award winner. Though, of course, his dreams won’t be fulfilled, as he said, until he becomes a three-time Golden Globe award winner.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Presenter Morgan Freeman announces the nominees for directing.

(Handout / Getty Images)

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Alejandro G. Inarritu accepts the award for director for “The Revenant.”

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Presenter Andy Samberg sparks laughs.

(Paul Drinkwater / NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

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Michael Keaton takes the stage to present an award.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Sophia Bush, left, and Kate Bosworth present an award onstage.

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Maggie Gyllenhaal introduces the nominated film “The Room.”

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

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Music, what music? Ridley Scott made sure to get in all this “thank yous” while accepting the award for motion picture comedy for “The Martian.”

(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)

The second-hardest-working people in the room quickly became the journalists tweeting what was said.

So it was that kind of night.

In other words, everyone may think the Globes are stupid and insignificant, but as long as the big names keep showing up, who cares?

And they all showed up, as they do every year. Well, Maggie Smith sent her regrets, but she’s Maggie (bleeping) Smith.

Everyone else was there. From Matt Damon, looking sheepish as he accepted jokes about his nomination for actor in a musical or comedy (“The Martian” was a comedy?) and then again as he accepted the award, to “The Big Short” costars Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling, the latter of whom feigned irritation upon learning he would not be presenting alone.

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Without question, Amy Adams is enjoying the evening.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Steve Carell and his wife, Nancy, were among the A-listers at the event.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Gina Rodriguez smiles for the cameras as she enters the room.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Christian Slater, left, and Rachel McAdams join the festivities.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Taraji P. Henson, one of the award winners, has reason to smile.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jeffrey Tambor and Kasia Ostlun make their arrival.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Helen Mirren graces the affair with he presence.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Michael B. Jordan, center, arrives at the party.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Brie Larson was a winner for the movie “Room.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Amy Schumer and sister Kim Caramele pause amid the hubbub backstage.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Queen Latifah arrives at the party.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Natalie Dormer makes her way to the celebration.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Terrance Howard and Michelle Ghent-Howard join the festivities.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Brian Wilson arrives.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

America Ferrara and Eva Longoria had the smartest bit of the night, mocking a previous Globes mix-up by pointing out that they were not Eva Mendes or Gina Rodriguez, while Leonardo DiCaprio provided the evening’s best moment. Not with his acceptance speech but with the raised-eyebrow face he made as Lady Gaga brushed past him to receive her award for actress in a limited series (“American Horror Story”). She beat out Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”), Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”) and Queen Latifah (“Bessie”).

So it was that kind of night too. For years, the Globes have been marketed as an Oscars predictor, but as television has become the hotter art form, the HFPA has increasing positioned itself as New Age tastemaker. The nominees all but ignored traditional broadcast networks and big shows in favor of smaller-known and streaming-service fare. Still, while Rachel Bloom’s win for the ambitious but struggling “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” made sense, two wins for Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle” marked the return of the old arbitrarily crazy Globes just as surely as all those F-bombs.

On the positive side, maybe more people will watch “Mozart in the Jungle,” which is pretty good if not “Best.”

It was as if Poehler and Fey had never happened. Gervais was back just as if he had never left, opening with an often uncomfortable monologue poking fun of random celebrities (Jeffrey Tambor and Caitlyn Jenner were early targets), clinging to his signature glass of beer and repeating jokes about the worthless nature of the award and the shameless nature of the group bestowing it.

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Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Helen Mirren

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Laverne Cox at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Amy Adams; Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith; and Lady Gaga

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Katy Perry, Taylor Schilling and Kate Hudson

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Christian Bale and wife Sibi Blazic

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Regina King and Rachel Bloom.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dwayne Johnson and daughter Simone Alexandra Johnson

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Saoirse Ronan

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jennifer Jason Leigh

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Director Tom McCarthy and his guest

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Lily Tomlin, Denis O’Hare and Uzo Aduba

(Wally Skalig / Los Angeles Times)

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Liev Schreiber and Damian Lewis

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Brie Larson

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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From left, actresses Leslie Mann, Zendaya and Eva Longoria.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Amy Schumer

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Sylvester Stallone with wife and daughters

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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David and Jessica Oyelowo

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, from left, Laverne Cox and Eva Longoria on the red carpet.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Elvis Nolasco and Richard Cabral

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Wiz Khalifa

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Lola Kirke poses on the red carpet at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Emmy Rossum and Sam Esmail

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Giuliana Rancic, Debbie Matenopoulos and Ken and Tran Jeong.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Maria Menounos

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Ernst & Young couriers deliver the envelopes containing the winners to the 73rd Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Carly Steel, left, Brad Goreski and Louise Roe

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / Right - Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images)

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Fans in the bleachers watch the red carpet arrivals.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Actor Alan Cumming documents the red carpet moment.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Liz Hernandez, left, Carly Steel and Nancy O’Dell

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Nancy O’Dell at the 73rd Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Bomb sniffing dogs walked the red carpet January 10, 2016 at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s a bit of metal given to you by a group of confused journalists so they could meet you and take a selfie,” he said.

A fondness for gold and geometry gave the set a ‘70s game show feel, and more than a few winners had to wait for several minutes while presenters made jokes even after the envelope had been opened.

Composer Ennio Morricone won for the “Hateful Eight” and director Quentin Tarantino accepted for him, so we got a crazy rambling speech in which he invoked Mozart (who was having a big night), referred to film composing as “ghetto” and claimed, incorrectly, that Morricone had never been honored.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg dutifully made jokes about the “TV people” behaving badly and having to walk a far distance to the stage, Sylvester Stallone won supporting actor in a movie for “Creed,” got a standing ovation and thanked his “friend” Rocky Balboa, and Gervais appeared at regular intervals to complain about the length and the stupidity of the show.

But Taraji P. Henson finally injected some life into the show when she won for “Empire.”

Handing out cookies as she swarmed the stage, she proclaimed “Cookies for everyone!” while in the next breath snapping at some hapless soul who had stepped on her dress.

Hyper and exultant she began her list of thank-yous only to see the “wrap up” warning on the monitor. “Oh, no,” she said. “I waited 20 years for this. You’re gonna wait.”

Tina and Amy would have been proud.

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