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]