Who Got “Bleeped” During The Golden Globes?

By Tom Rose
Fancast.com

The 66th Annual Golden Globes did not disappoint this year. After last year’s train wreck, derailed by the Writers strike, the Globes got back on track with a reputation for the saltiest awards ceremony of the year. Maybe because it’s hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association there’s usually an Oktoberfest atmosphere with plenty of flowing bubbly, a long walk to the podium and a last minute chance to carefully frame an acceptance speech.

That means a network censor has a finger on the bleeper at all times, but last night a few curveballs made it to the backstop before the ump could make the call. Maybe it was the open bar?

Here are some of the highlights:

After winning Best Actor for “The Wrestler,” Mickey Rourke repeatedly referred to “balls,” uttered some real profanity and was flipped the bird by his director Darren Aronofsky when Rourke dared to suggest that Steven Spielberg was the smartest brain in the room. To save the day he closed with an ode to his dog. “Sometimes when you’re alone, all you got is your dog, and they mean the world to me.” Nice comeback Mickey! But thank goodness he didn’t go there…

Technically, there really were no bleeps, if you watched on the East coast, as I did. It was the delayed broadcast out West that suffered the most. The rest were all near misses, having more to do with taste rather than actual profanity.

Seth Rogen got the ball rolling next by saying that he wished he were at the Globes back in the 1980s because “instead of having a drink backstage with Mickey Rourke, I could be doing coke backstage with Mickey Rourke.” There was some nervous laughter, and Mickey gave a thumbs up, but the comment pretty much fell flat.

A guy who should have an ankle bracelet synchro switch to the bleeper, Tracy Morgan actually kept it clean and funny by remarking:

“Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on. Welcome to post-racial America. I’m the face of post-racial America. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett. We’d like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press. Especially me ’cause the black man can’t get no love at the Emmys. I love you, Europe. That’s wasssup.”

Some of the wine that flows so freely at the ceremony was made with sour grapes and Ricky Gervais spewed a few mouthfuls. He even came to the podium with a brew in hand:

“I can’t believe I’m not nominated. What a waste of a campaign. Today is the last time I have sex with 200 middle-age journalists. It was horrible. Really. A lot of them didn’t even speak English. Europeans with wispy beards. The men were worse.”

Never mix wine and beer Ricky. The hangover is killer.

A few presenters could not resist the urge to jump up on the soapbox. Laura Dern thanked the 2008 electorate, looking forward “to the amazing change in this country.” And she didn’t cry once.

But the most bleepable moment came at the very end when Danny Boyle thanked the H.F.P.A. for supporting his movie, “Slumdog Millionaire” about an underdog game show winner from the wrong side of the tracks of Mumbai, saying “your mad, pulsating affection for our film is much appreciated, really deeply appreciated. The film was made from the heart, really. We never expected to be here.”

He then, inexplicably, uttered some curse words before the music swelled and the credits rolled. Hey, you gotta take your best shot right?

Watch more clips from The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards right here on Fancast.