Jerrod Carmichael revealed the reason he believes he was chosen to host the 2023 Golden Globes.
via: People
The celebrated comic, 35, opened the awards show by confronting the reason it was missing from the airways last year, amid complaints about the lack of diversity and inclusivity within the Hollywood Foreign Press, its governing body.
“I’ll tell you why I’m here. I’m here because I’m Black,” Carmichael said, tackled the elephant in the room while taking a seat at stairs of the Beverly Hilton stage.
“This show, the Golden Globe Awards, did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — which I won’t say were a racist organization, but they didn’t have a single Black member until George Floyd died [in 2020]. So do with that information what you will.”
He went on to recall how he got the gig, joking, “One minute you’re making mint tea at home, the next you’re invited to be the Black face of the embattled White organization. Life really comes extra fast, you know?”
But Carmichael admitted he wasn’t so quick to accept the offer from Globes producer Stephen Hill. “I said Stephen, ‘I’ll be honest with you, I’m a little torn because you know, one, it’s a great opportunity. Thank you for the call. But I’m only being asked to host this because I’m Black,’” Charmichael remembered. “And Stephen said, ‘Let me stop you right there. You are being asked to host this show because you are talented. You’re being asked to host this show because you’re charming — but Stephens’ Black, so what does he know?”
From there, Carmichael decided to reach out to a close friend for guidance.
“I did what I do when I have a moral racial dilemma. I call the homegirl Avery, who for the sake of this monologue represents every Black person in America,” Charmichael teased. “And I said to Avery, I said, ‘Avery, they asked me to host the Golden Globes.’ I said, ‘You know, what should I do?’ And she said, ‘Oh, Buki, I’m so proud of you. Now, remind me what awards show is that again?’
“And I told her what the show was, and I told her about how last year didn’t air because of the no Black people thing. And she was like, ‘Well, how much are they paying you?’ And I said, ‘Well, Avery, it’s not about the money. Honestly, it’s about the moral question of rather, I should elaborate.’ She said, ‘ … How much are they paying you?’ and I said, ‘$500,000.’ And she said, ‘Boy, if you don’t put on a good suit and take the White people’s money.’ ”
All was good until Carmichael was asked to have a meeting with Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA, which he jokingly called “a trap.”
“‘They’re not really asking, Jerrod. They’re insisting that you take the meeting,’” he recalled being told. “And I’m like, ‘Or what? They’re gonna fire me? They hadn’t had a Black host in 79 years. They’re gonna fire the first one? I’m unfireable.”
He also teased that the organization “got six new Black members,” adding, “Congrats to them!” but saying that he took the job not even expecting that the HFPA would have made any changes.
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