What a year it has been! Looking back at what has happened so far, it is difficult to believe that these past events all took place within such a short period of time. Wait a minute – do you think I am addressing 2019? Not even close! 2020 is one of the craziest rollercoaster rides yet.

“That’s impossible!”  “It hasn’t even been a month.”

Trust me, I am in denial, too. But you cannot deny the facts. Lego Star Wars profile pictures have taken over social media. The United States and Iran scared the nation, causing many people to expect war to break out. Then, just five days into the year, the Golden Globes experienced one of the most controversial, political airings in its history.

On January 5^th, the 77^th annual Golden Globes kicked off on an aggressive foot – and I do not use that term lightly. In my opinion, and most likely the opinion of many other Golden Globe viewers, this event should focus on celebrating the achievements of the entertainment industry over the past year. I am not saying that celebrating did not take place, because many awards were given to well-deserving people, including one of our political suspects, Joaquin Phoenix. Before we jump into his story, let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Ricky Gervais, a familiar face to the Golden Globes, took the early stage, and chose not to hold back. The main purpose of his opening speech was to roast Hollywood and its stars for their poor behavior over the years, especially regarding the political speeches given at events like the Golden Globes. He made it clear that he was tired of celebrities getting away with acts like so, causing him to state, “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*** off, OK?”

Although his statement was political itself, it was a needed statement, allowing the celebrities and viewers to get a grasp at what Hollywood has become over the years. Did it work? Absolutely….not.

Numerous award winners seemed as if they were asleep during Gervais’ rant, wasting their acceptance speech time complaining about the world we live in. Ironically, these are people who fly on private jets and wear fur coats…just saying.

Like I said before, numerous people ignored Gervais’ wishes – people like Russell Crowe, Michelle Williams, and Joaquin Phoenix. Due to Russell Crowe’s absence, Jennifer Aniston took his place, reading the following message: “Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-change-based. We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is.” Michelle Williams took a different approach, hinting that her choice to have an abortion was the reason she is a successful human being. “To choose when to have my children and with whom, when I felt supported and able to balance our lives as all mothers know that the scales must and will tip towards our children. Now I know my choices might look different than yours, but thank God or whoever you pray to that we live in a country founded on the principles that I am free to live by my faith and you are free to live by yours. So, women 18 to 118, when it is time to vote please do so in your self-interest,” Williams said. Even the beloved Joker, Joaquin Phoenix, had this to say: “It’s really nice that so many people have come up and sent their well wishes to Australia. But we have to do more than that.” His comment was not as bad as the previous two, as he sent well wishes to those suffering the – proven to be – manmade fires in Australia, but once again, Hollywood was called out for its lack of honesty.

These celebrities call out for our help to maintain the issues our planet faces on a day to day basis, when in most cases, they don’t even lift a finger. Since this is the case, let’s keep our award ceremonies about the entertainment industry and their successes, because during the 77^th annual Golden Globes, many hardworking individuals failed to receive the thanks they deserved. Hollywood, I think it is time to get your act together.