When Stars Throw Shade At Award Shows..
Put some water on that burn! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the hilarious digs at pop culture figures during award ceremonies.
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00:00 "You'll be pleased to know this is the last time I'm hosting these awards, so..."
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the hilarious digs at pop culture figures during award ceremonies.
00:11 "Who knows, maybe you're about to get Cecil B. deBert."
00:14 We're only including jokes aimed at individuals, so general jokes about Hollywood or, say, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will not be included.
00:22 Number 20, Emma Stone, the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
00:27 Never underestimate the comedic talents of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, especially when they're given the reins of something like the Golden Globes.
00:34 "Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams are here, they were so great in Big Eyes."
00:38 At the 2015 ceremony, they had plenty of ammunition with the art-focused biopic Big Eyes.
00:44 In fact, one of the paintings was on full display during the ceremony, or so they said.
00:48 Cue the close-up on Emma Stone.
00:50 "Oh, so lifelike."
00:55 While the actress is primarily known for her acting chops, her signature doe eyes made this roast impossible to pass up.
01:02 All things considered, Stone could do a whole lot worse than being compared to a famous Margaret Keane painting.
01:07 Number 19, Hugh Hefner, the 68th Golden Globe Awards.
01:11 2011 was a big year for The Walking Dead, and we don't just mean the show.
01:16 As Ricky Gervais says himself, they should celebrate another kind of zombie in the audience, Hugh Hefner.
01:21 "Talking of The Walking Dead, congratulations to Hugh Hefner."
01:25 Brace yourself, that's not even the worst of it.
01:28 Gervais went on to congratulate the Playboy founder on his recent marriage to model Crystal Harris,
01:32 making sure to bring up the 60-year age gap.
01:35 "When she was asked why she was marrying him, she said 'cause he lied about his age.
01:40 He told me he was 94. Oh, come on."
01:43 Let's just say Gervais pantomimes a very telling portrait of what that kind of relationship looks like in bed.
01:49 If you want to know just how far he went, all you have to do is look at Robert De Niro's reaction.
01:55 Number 18, Felicity Huffman, the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
01:59 Say what you will about Ricky Gervais, but he sure knows how to get a reaction, for better or for worse.
02:05 During the 2020 Golden Globes, he made a very pointed reference to Felicity Huffman's time behind bars
02:11 for her part in the Celebrity College admissions scandal.
02:14 "You came here in your limos, I came here in a limo tonight, and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman."
02:20 It got a very vocal response from the crowd, to put it lightly.
02:23 If Tom Hank's open mouth is any indication, it's from equal parts shock, offense, and laughter.
02:30 Gervais later clarifies that he actually feels sorry for Huffman's daughter.
02:34 "That must be the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to her, and her dad was in wild hogs."
02:39 But after a roast like this, it's Huffman herself who needs the fire extinguisher.
02:44 Number 17, Jason Bateman, the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.
02:49 Hosts are important for any kind of entertainment.
02:51 "You know who the real victims are here? It's us. Hosting is the only thing we know how to do."
02:59 They keep things on track, provide a sense of structure, and if Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmler to be believed,
03:04 they also listen to Jason Bateman's family stories.
03:07 "Who would sit behind a desk and pretend to be interested in Jason Bateman's vacation stories?"
03:12 That last part is a clear jab at the actor's well-known tendency to be a chattermouth.
03:17 Kimmel and Colbert even joke that Bateman has told the exact same story on both of their talk shows.
03:23 Ever the comedian though, Bateman feigns offense throughout the whole thing, with hilarious results.
03:28 Later that night, Bateman brushed off all the playful jokes by going home with the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
03:35 "Um, wow. That's, uh, that is something."
03:41 Number 16, Ed Sheeran, the 39th Brit Awards.
03:45 There are a lot of ways you could talk about someone as famous as Ed Sheeran.
03:48 You could call him a singer, an artist, a Grammy winner, just to name a few.
03:52 But comedian Jack Whitehall never takes the easy joke, and his hosting of the 2019 Brit Awards was no different.
04:00 "I wanna do a dad swap. Can you take mine? You've got a silver fox, mine's more of a white walker."
04:05 When queuing up Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer as the next presenter,
04:08 Whitehall brought up the most haunting scene in the HBO series, Ed Sheeran's cameo.
04:13 "The people who live there, they'd skin you alive if they could make two coppers off your hide."
04:17 "Worst place in the world."
04:19 It's not exactly a glowing review, but it does get its fair share of laughter.
04:23 Whitehall returned to host the Brits two more times after this, so clearly, someone high up appreciates his humor too.
04:30 "We have nine awards in total, and in between, I'm going to pop up every now and again to annoy you all like Chris Martin at Glastonbury."
04:36 Number 15, Quentin Tarantino, the 70th Golden Globe Awards.
04:41 Quentin Tarantino's work has left an unshakable legacy on Hollywood.
04:45 "Describe what Marcellus Wallace looks like!"
04:48 Apparently, in ways even he couldn't dream of.
04:51 When Tina Fey took to the stage at the 70th Golden Globe Awards, she politely pointed out some big faces in the crowd.
04:57 Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, oh, and Quentin Tarantino,
05:01 who she introduces with a jaw-dropping admittance that you really just have to hear for yourself.
05:06 "Quentin Tarantino is here, the star of all my sexual nightmares."
05:10 There's no way of knowing whether Fey meant his vulgar films or Tarantino himself.
05:15 She doesn't clarify, but honestly, that might be for the best.
05:18 The joke is already seared into our brains either way.
05:22 Number 14, Sam Smith, the 38th Brit Awards.
05:26 What's a show without some entertainment?
05:28 Unfortunately, musician Sam Smith got the wrong memo about their performance.
05:32 They weren't just putting on a show, they were the show.
05:35 Smith hadn't even stepped on stage when host Jack Whitehall came at them with his signature brand of roast-heavy humor.
05:41 "If you like Adele songs but find them too upbeat, you're in for a treat, as Sam Smith will be performing!"
05:47 [crowd cheering]
05:48 In this case, it involved making some unfavorable comparisons between Smith's music and Adele's.
05:54 You know Whitehall's on the money because Smith can only bow their head in agreement as the crowd erupts into cheers around them.
06:00 At the very least, getting mentioned in the same breath as Adele is a compliment either way.
06:05 "I'm way too good at goodbye!"
06:10 Number 13, Matthew McConaughey, the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards.
06:15 True Detective was an undisputed awards juggernaut,
06:18 but by the time the Emmys finally came around, it was already old news for Matthew McConaughey.
06:22 "Why is Matthew McConaughey nominated for a television award? Matthew McConaughey doesn't even own a television!"
06:29 He'd won an Oscar a few months prior for his career-defining turn in Dallas Buyers Club.
06:33 The actor clearly didn't need any more awards, a fact that host Jimmy Kimmel hammered in on.
06:39 He joked that the actor doesn't even watch TV, and instead sold his television for some recreational means.
06:45 "I happen to know for a fact that he traded his television for a conch shell full of weed."
06:50 For what it's worth, McConaughey quickly tries to toss the blame on Woody Harrelson, but Kimmel isn't buying it.
06:55 "Don't get me wrong, you were-"
06:56 "It was Woody!"
06:57 "No, that wasn't Woody. Woody's a television guy."
07:00 Ironically, the only thing Matthew McConaughey ended up winning that night was the award for most roasted.
07:06 The thing about watching Ricky Gervais is that you're always waiting for his next joke.
07:15 "The Golden Globes is shown all over the world. It is oblivious to color or creed."
07:20 But at the 2010 Golden Globes, his speech about diversity and stereotypes didn't just end with a punchline,
07:26 it ended with Colin Farrell.
07:27 "One stereotype I hate is that all Irishmen are just drunk, sweary hell raisers. Please welcome Colin Farrell."
07:36 The comedic timing of Gervais' delivery is plain perfection, especially given the context.
07:41 Farrell had won a Golden Globe the year prior for his portrayal of an Irish hitman with a complicated relationship with alcohol in the film 'In Bruges.'
07:49 Despite the smack talk, the two hugged it out afterwards like good buds.
07:52 Clearly, Farrell knew what he was getting into when he agreed to present in a show hosted by Ricky Gervais.
07:58 Ah, there's nothing quite like mixing topical memes with older celebrities.
08:15 At the Golden Globes, host Ricky Gervais, not exactly known for holding back,
08:20 "You'll be pleased to know this is the last time I'm hosting these awards, so I don't care anymore."
08:26 purposely and jokingly confused the diminutive Joe Pesci with Baby Yoda, perhaps pop culture's cutest and most popular character.
08:33 "Legends, icons, yeah? Look, at this table alone, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, but...
08:46 "Baby Yoda. Oh, that's Joe Pesci, sorry."
08:51 Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with Baby Yoda. We all love Baby Yoda.
08:55 But when you're in your mid-70s and happen to be one of the most accomplished actors of the last half-century, that comparison's gotta sting.
09:01 If you didn't watch the 2011 Academy Awards, then you missed one of the all-time greatest live TV fiascos.
09:13 Seriously, that thing was a goldmine of cringe. And most of it stemmed from awkward and robotic co-host James Franco.
09:19 Franco single-handedly ruined the entire night, while also making his co-host Anne Hathaway look bad.
09:25 Luckily, she found some solace at the 2013 Golden Globes.
09:28 "The beautiful Anne Hathaway is here tonight."
09:31 [Applause]
09:36 "Anne Hathaway, you gave a stunning performance in Les Miserables."
09:40 While praising her award-winning performance in Les Miserables, host Tina Fey stated that she hadn't seen someone, quote,
09:46 "so alone and abandoned" since watching Hathaway host the Oscars with James Franco.
09:51 "I have not seen someone so totally alone and abandoned like that since you were on stage with James Franco at the Oscars."
09:59 All Anne could do was hang her head and try to hide a smile. She knew Tina was right, she just didn't want to show it.
10:10 Whether you love him, hate him, or somewhere in between, Donald Trump's presidency is historic,
10:15 and both the issues and motivations behind his election will be studied for generations.
10:19 The reasons are plentiful, and cannot be aimed solely at one thing or person.
10:24 But Jimmy Kimmel thinks we should target Mark Burnett.
10:26 "He's sitting right there. That's right, that guy. Mark Burnett, the man who brought us Celebrity Apprentice."
10:35 Burnett is the sole creator of The Apprentice, the show that made Donald Trump a reality TV sensation,
10:41 and arguably helped lead to his election.
10:43 "Thanks to Mark Burnett, we don't have to watch reality shows anymore because we're living in one. Thank you, Mark."
10:50 Kimmel singled out Mark Burnett at the 2016 Emmy Awards, and directly blamed him for the Donald Trump phenomenon.
10:56 After a lengthy rebuking, Kimmel claimed that Mark Burnett should be thrown over, quote,
11:01 "the wall" if Donald Trump were to be elected. Well, we now know how that turned out.
11:05 "You sneaky little crumpet muncher, you. Who do you have lined up to fill the spot on the Supreme Court?
11:12 Miley Cyrus or CeeLo? I'm going on the record right now. He's responsible.
11:18 If Donald Trump gets elected, and he builds that wall, the first person we're throwing over it is Mark Burnett."
11:30 Scientology is a touchy subject of discussion for many people, but then again, this is Ricky Gervais we're talking about here.
11:36 The Golden Globe's host referenced the movie I Love You, Philip Morris,
11:39 in which straight actors Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor portray gay characters.
11:42 "How did you do this?"
11:44 "I know a guy. Took care of it. I'm gonna take care of everything."
11:53 He then says,
11:54 "Also not nominated, I Love You, Philip Morris, Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor,
11:59 two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay. So the complete opposite of some famous Scientologist then."
12:06 You can tell from Ricky's face that he was nervous about telling the joke, and for good reason.
12:10 It elicited audible gasps, groans, and some boos from the audience.
12:14 "What? What? Probably. My lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke."
12:23 We don't know who Gervais was referring to specifically, but we're sure you have your assumptions.
12:29 The 2018 Emmys were not especially memorable from a comedy standpoint,
12:37 but hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che came equipped with at least one certifiable zinger,
12:42 and it came at the expense of Roseanne Barr.
12:45 "She's had a rough year."
12:46 Just four months before the ceremony,
12:48 Roseanne made an extremely controversial tweet aimed at former President Obama's senior advisor Valerie Jarrett.
12:54 "Anytime something bad happens, it's always somebody who lives next door to somebody."
13:00 Barr was quickly fired by ABC, and the revived Roseanne was cancelled.
13:05 The hosts briefly mentioned the controversy and joked that the show was later, quote,
13:08 "Picked up by white nationalists."
13:10 "Last Man Standing was cancelled by ABC and then picked up by Fox."
13:14 "That's right." "Which is great."
13:16 "And Roseanne was cancelled by herself, but picked up by white nationalists."
13:22 "Oh."
13:22 There's no denying that is a powerful burn.
13:25 Robert Downey Jr. had a comeback for the ages.
13:33 He's one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood,
13:35 thanks primarily to his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
13:38 But things weren't looking so hot for the actor for quite a spell before that.
13:41 And Ricky Gervais, yep, him again, isn't the type of comedian to forgive and forget.
13:45 "He's the star of Iron Man."
13:48 "Two girls and a guy."
13:50 "Wonder Boys."
13:52 "Sorry, are these porn films?"
13:54 "What?"
13:55 "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang."
13:57 While introducing Downey, Gervais made fun of his ostensibly racy-sounding movie titles,
14:02 and declared that the audience probably knew him best from the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angeles County Jail.
14:07 "But many of you in this room probably know him best from such facilities as the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angeles County Jail."
14:14 "Please welcome Robert Downey Jr."
14:16 Luckily, Downey is the coolest dude ever and seemed to take the jab in stride, even clapping back.
14:22 "Aside from the fact that it's been hugely mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones,
14:26 I'd say the vibe of the show is pretty good so far, wouldn't you?"
14:29 James Cameron is one of the most creative and innovative directors of all time.
14:37 But by most accounts, he is a real pain to work with.
14:40 Many people have reported difficulties working with Cameron,
14:43 calling out his intense temper, annoying perfectionism, enormous ego, and confrontational mannerisms.
14:49 "For three years, while making the most ambitious film ever,
14:53 Cameron weathered rumors that he was a tyrant on the set,
14:56 and that he and his costly obsession were out of control."
15:00 So, while praising Cameron's ex-wife, noted director Catherine Bigelow, for her film "Zero Dark Thirty",
15:05 which delved into big issues like war and torture,
15:08 Amy Poehler let loose with a brilliantly pointed barb about James Cameron.
15:12 Evoking an uproarious reaction from the audience.
15:15 "I haven't really been following the controversy over 'Zero Dark Thirty',
15:18 but when it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron."
15:23 Perhaps the best individual reaction was from Jessica Chastain,
15:27 who was quite visibly and hilariously shocked by the comparison.
15:39 It's no small secret that the 2019 adaptation of "Cats"
15:43 coughed up a furball in just about every conceivable way.
15:46 And yet, somehow, the movie wasn't the only runt of the litter at the 2020 Golden Globes.
15:51 "And the reviews, oh, shocking.
15:54 I saw one that said, 'This is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs.' Right?"
15:59 In a truly shocking turn of phrase,
16:01 host Ricky Gervais used "Cats" as a way to tell everyone how he really feels about actor James Corden.
16:07 "The world got to see James Corden as a fat b****.
16:10 He was also in the movie 'Cats', but no one saw that."
16:17 Gervais didn't pull any punches, we'll just leave it at that.
16:20 It didn't look like Corden was in the audience that night.
16:23 But considering the "Cats" situation and all the ruthless jokes at his expense,
16:27 he probably dodged a bullet there.
16:34 With a host like Stephen Colbert, you should expect a fair share of political jokes.
16:38 But it wasn't just the politicians facing Colbert's wrath, it was also the political commentators.
16:43 Colbert listed off the night's many African-American nominees,
16:46 including Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis, and, well, Bill Maher.
16:50 "And there's so many talented African-American nominees.
16:53 Jeffrey Wright, Viola Davis, and of course, Bill Maher."
16:58 Obviously, Maher is not African-American,
17:00 but Colbert opined that he thought Maher should count due to his use of the N-word.
17:04 For those who don't know or remember, Maher infamously dropped the word on his show real-time.
17:09 "I gotta get to Nebraska more."
17:12 "You're welcome."
17:13 "We'd love to have you work in the fields with us."
17:16 "Work in the fields?"
17:18 The audience reacted favorably to Colbert's joke,
17:21 but the funniest reaction came from Anthony Anderson, whose cackling was very hearty.
17:26 "I, uh... I assume he's black since he's so comfortable using the N-word. I don't know."
17:33 The 2015 Golden Globes were supposed to be George Clooney's night,
17:42 as he was being honored with the esteemed Cecil B. DeMille Award.
17:45 "Of course, George Clooney is here to receive the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.
17:50 Or... is he?"
17:52 But Tina Fey and Amy Poehler brought him and his accomplishments down a peg.
17:56 They unfavorably compared Clooney to his wife Amal Alamuddin and her accomplishments,
18:00 like being a human rights lawyer and working with the United Nations.
18:04 "George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year.
18:07 Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case,
18:11 was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria,
18:14 and was selected for a three-person UN commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip.
18:20 So tonight, her husband is getting a Lifetime Achievement Award."
18:25 It was a scathing take on congratulatory entertainment award shows,
18:28 and it could have done some real damage to a lesser actor's ego.
18:31 Luckily, Clooney seems to be a humble man and tilted his head in agreeable acknowledgement.
18:36 And this wasn't even the first time Fey and Poehler had taken a dig at him either.
18:39 "It's the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die
18:44 than spend one more minute with a woman his own age."
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19:02 Number 1. Mel Gibson - Multiple Golden Globe Awards
19:07 Gibson has been the subject of Gervais' jabs for years,
19:11 stemming all the way back to the 2010 show when Gervais took a stab at Gibson's alcohol use disorder.
19:16 "It's not my fault. There's a lot of powerful people here, so if I said... it's...
19:22 Honestly, I like a drink as much as the next man.
19:25 Unless the next man is Mel Gibson."
19:29 Things got even worse the next year when Gervais joked about Gibson's history with anti-Semitism
19:34 while introducing Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson.
19:37 "Our first presenter is beautiful, talented, and Jewish, apparently.
19:43 Mel Gibson told me that. He's obsessed.
19:46 Please welcome Scarlett Johansson."
19:51 Ricky found himself in a tight spot at the 2016 awards as he was forced to introduce Gibson yet again.
19:57 "And I blame NBC for this terrible situation.
20:00 Mel blames... we know Mel blames."
20:05 He acknowledged the awkwardness while still taking jabs at Gibson's drinking,
20:09 and he ended the ordeal by asking Gibson what his epithet meant.
20:13 This seemed to be the final straw as Gibson was left visibly distressed and annoyed by the question.
20:19 "You gotta hand it to Gervais. He knows how to push buttons."
20:22 "Thanks, Ricky, for your input."
20:24 What's the funniest roast you've ever heard at an awards show?
20:27 Let us know if it made our list in the comments below.
20:29 "Remember, they're just jokes. We're all gonna die soon, and there's no sequel."
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20:43 [outro music]