Golden Globes Host Jerrod Carmichael's Monologue in Full: 'Awkwardness'

Golden Globes host Jerrod Carmichael opened the 80th edition of the awards with a blistering monologue about race.

Beginning with an understated entrance telling everyone to "settle down," Carmichael then addressed the elephant in the room.

"I'm here because I'm Black, I'll catch everyone in the room up," he started before explaining the controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's (HFPA) issues with diversity.

"I won't say they were a racist organization but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died, do with that information what you will," the comedian continued.

For decades, the HFPA didn't have any Black journalists among its 87 members who represented 55 nations. The group hadn't included a Black member since at least 2002, when former association president and board chair Meher Tatna joined, she told Variety in 2021.

The 2022 ceremony was not telecast after much of Hollywood decided to boycott the event because of the HFPA's lack of diversity.

Carmichael's speech garnered plenty of strong commentary on social media.

"The feeling of discomfort and awkwardness in the room during jerrod carmichael's monologue could probably power a country #GoldenGlobes," tweeted HuffPost editor Philip Lewis.

Here is Carmichael's speech in full:

"Settle settle, settle settle, settle settle. Settle people. In the back, let's be a little quiet here, everybody. Let's be a little quiet here. Everyone. Hello. Welcome to the 80th annual Golden Global Awards.

"I am your host Jerrod Carmichael. Sure. Sure. And I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here because I'm Black. I'll catch everyone in the room up.

"If you settle down a little bit, I'll tell you what's been going on. This show the Golden Globe Awards did not air last year because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which I won't say they were a racist organization, but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died.

"So do with that information. What you will.

"I'll tell you how I got here. Why am I here on the stage with you guys tonight? Well, I was at home, making mint tea. And I got a phone call from my man, Stephen Hill. Stephen Hill, a great producer and he said, 'Jerrod, I'm honored to be making this phone call.' He said, 'I'm producing the 80th Golden Globes and it would be an honor if you would agree to join as the host.' I was like, 'whoa.'

"You know. Like one minute you're making mint tea at home. The next you're invited to be the Black face of an embattled white organization.

"Life really comes at you fast, you know? So I said, 'Stephen I'm torn, I'll be honest with you, I'm a little torn because, you know, I want it to be a great opportunity. Thank you for the call, but I'm only being asked to host this, I know, because I'm Black,' and Stephen said, 'let me stop you right there, Jerrod.' He said, 'You were being asked to host this show because you are talented. You're being asked to host this show because you're charming.' He said, 'You're being asked to host this show because you were one of the greatest comedians of a generation.'

"But Steven's Black. So what does he know? Like he's producing this show because he's not white, they're not gonna tell him why he's here either. So I said, 'Steven, this is a lot for me, let me call you back.' So I did what I do when I have a moral racial dilemma, I called the homegirl Avery, who for the sake of this monologue represents every Black person in America.

"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, boy, I'm so proud of you. Now remind me which award show is that again' and I told her about the show and I told her about how last year it 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 allow.' And 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 them white people's money,' and I kind of forget that, like, where I'm from we all live by a strict rule, take the white money mentality. I bet Black informants for the FBI in the '60s, that like their families were still proud of them.

"Like, they were, like, 'You hear about Clarence's new job? They pay them $8 an hour, just to snitch on Dr. King. That's a good government job.'

"And I call Steven back and I said, 'I'm happy to do this and I was really proud of that decision' until I got an email from a publicist saying that Helen the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association wanted to have a one-on-one sitdown with me. And I said, 'No thanks.'

"You know, a trap when I hear a trap.

And I thought it went away, then they came back, 'Well they're not really asking, right?' They're insisting that you take the meeting and I'm like, 'or what? They're gonna fire me?'

"They haven't had a Black host in 79 years. They're gonna fire the first one? I'm unfirable."

"And it came back again, a third time like, you know, [saying] 'Really, she just wants to educate you on the changes that the organization has made in regards to diversity' and I'll be totally honest with everyone here tonight. I don't really need to hear that. I took this job assuming they hadn't changed that all.

"I heard they got six new black members, congrats to them, whatever. Sure. But It's not why I'm here. I'm here. Truly because all of you, I look out into this room and I see a lot of talented people that I admire, people that I would like to be like, and people that I'm jealous of and people that are actually really incredible artists and regardless of whatever the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's past may be.

"This is an evening where we get to celebrate. And I think this industry deserves evenings like these and I'm happy you all are here. I'm here. And I hope you have some fun tonight. I'm a little over time but they figured it out. I'm sure."