Nikki Glaser Discusses Political Avoidance at the Golden Globes

Nikki Glaser shared her reasons for steering clear of political commentary while hosting the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night. During her appearance on “The Howard Stern Show,” she mentioned that this was her second consecutive year hosting the event, and she received positive feedback on her performance.

Glaser explained that her opening monologue lacked political jabs, stating, “It’s not funny.” She recalled considering a joke about the bar running out of ice but ultimately decided against it, thinking it felt too trivial. “That’s what it was like. This isn’t even that anymore. It’s hard to make it sound right,” she remarked.

She mentioned that legendary comedian Steve Martin had written a joke for her that referenced Donald Trump but later advised her to drop it. Glaser recounted, “I said, ‘Hey, Steve sent me a joke.’ He read it to me and then said, ‘Steve told me not to do that. That’s not the right sound for the night.’ And he was right.”

The joke in question was about renaming the Kennedy Center to include Trump’s name. Recently, the Kennedy Center Board decided to rename it the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center, which sparked discussions.

Additionally, Glaser noted that she stopped making jokes about political candidates’ demographics, calling them “too woke.” For example, she had planned a line addressing nominations involving shorter, older white male actors, but she felt it lacked humor.

Despite avoiding overt political critiques, she did touch on recent controversies with sarcasm. In her monologue, she referenced Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to numerous celebrities without saying his name, humorously highlighting the star power present at the event.

Glaser quipped, “I can’t believe the amount of star power in this room tonight. It’s unbelievable. There’s a lot of big stars,” before adding, “And the Golden Globe Award for Best Editing goes to the Department of Justice.”

Her comments about CBS News, the network that aired the awards show, also caught some attention. “And the award for ‘Most Editorial’ goes to CBS News. That’s right, CBS News, the newest place to watch BS news in America,” she joked, a nod to the network’s recent issues and changing leadership.

In reviewing the Golden Globes, one notable aspect was the significantly reduced political tone compared to previous years. Glaser and the award recipients refrained from naming Trump directly during the ceremony. Political discussions mainly happened during pre-show interviews, where some nominated and presenting stars discussed current events.

As the event wrapped up, it left many wondering if this was a sign of a shift in how ceremonies might handle political discourse moving forward.