Watch Tina Fey, Amy Poehler open Golden Globes, play ‘Who’d You Rather’

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t pull punches while emceeing their third consecutive Golden Globe Awards, mining material from several of Tinseltown’s hot-button issues.

The comedians took aim at the guests in the Beverly Hilton ballroom which they described as filled with a “bunch of despicable, spoiled, minimally talented brats� -- echoing an email about Angelina Jolie leaked during the Sony hacking -- as well as George Clooney, North Korea and Bill Cosby during their opening at the 72nd Golden Globes.

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FOR THE RECORD

Jan. 12, 7:15 p.m.: A previous version of his article carried a headline that misspelled Amy Poehler’s last name as Poeher.

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The “30 Rock� and “Parks & Recreation� stars insisted that it was their final year hosting and perhaps used that as an excuse to make a few more japes.

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“Tonight we celebrate all the great television shows we know and love as well as all of the movies that North Korea was OK with,� Fey started.

“That’s right, the biggest story in Hollywood this year was when North Korea threatened an attack if Sony Pictures released ‘The Interview,’ forcing us all to pretend we wanted to see it,� Poehler said about the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy.

“North Korea referred to ‘The Interview’ as ‘absolutely intolerable’ and ‘a wanton act of terror,’� Fey quipped. “Even more amazing, not the worst review the movie got.�

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The jesting continued throughout the evening, with one gag -- courtesy of comedian Margaret Cho and an unfortunate faux North Korean glossy mag, Movies Wow -- that was ill-received by numerous viewers.

The duo also poked fun at “Inherent Vice� star and perennial nominee Joaquin Phoenix’s distaste for award shows, and “Birdman� actress Emma Stone was referred to as a “cute but creepy� painting from “Big Eyes.�

Fey and Poehler also brought up Hollywood’s sexism, ageism, the civil rights movement and marital woes when referring to this year’s crop of nominees. Per usual, TV barely got a notable mention.

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They also paid special attention to the evening’s Cecil B. DeMille recipient, longtime prankster George Clooney, whom they’d mocked last year with a joke about “Gravity� that turned on him never wanting to settle down with a woman his own age.

“George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year,� Fey began. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria and was selected for a three-person U.N. commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award. ... So stupid!�

The quip earned laughs from several attendees, including Alamuddin, who now goes by Amal Clooney. Poehler, however, was hoping that he’d be “Cecil B. De-Burnt.�

The ladies also shared the secret to their “50-year� friendship: Never thinking the same man is attractive, which launched a rousing version of “Who’d You Rather?� and a slew of witty one-liners. Actors Colin Farrell and Colin Firth, Ed Norton and Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pine (just Chris Pine) and directors Richard Linklater and Alejandro G. Iñárritu were the among the lucky men mentioned.

But the evening’s most pointed criticism was directed at Cosby, who is embroiled in rape allegations.

“In ‘Into the Woods,’ Cinderella runs from her prince, Rapunzel is thrown from a tower for her prince and Sleeping Beauty just thought she was getting coffee with Bill Cosby,� Poehler said.

Then, they did their best Cosby voices, insisting that the comedian had drugged women.

“‘I put the pills in the people. The people did not want the pills in them,’� Fey imitated.

So, how’d they recover from the awkward laughter that followed? Pretty nicely, actually, thanks to a little help from “Cake� star Jennifer Aniston and an always-uplifting Benedict Cumberbatch, who presented the first award.

Twitter: @NardineSaad