Vice President Kamala Harris leaned heavily on her celebrity endorsements. While not all of them performed, artists, including Lizzo, Beyonce, and Cardi B, made appearances at her rallies. Julia Roberts voiced a campaign ad on Harris’s behalf. Others, such as Taylor Swift, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jane Fonda, offered simple endorsements without stumping for the vice president, who ultimately lost to President-elect Donald Trump.

“I am not here to roast you tonight,” Glaser said. “I want you to know that. And how could I, really? You’re all so famous, so talented, so powerful. I mean, you could really do anything except tell the country who to vote for. But it’s OK, you’ll get ’em next time ― if there is one.” 

Glaser went on to make fun of Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“The Bear, The Penguin, Baby Reindeer. These are not just things found in RFK’s freezer. These are TV shows nominated tonight,” Glaser said.

Later, actress Jennifer Coolidge appeared to present an award and give a brief comedic monologue on women’s problems in Hollywood.

“I was on a job once, and the lead male actor was the only one that got green juice,” Coolidge said. “Billy Bob Thornton was allowed to bring his pet coyote and I wasn’t even allowed to bring my overweight triplets.”

When actor Adrien Brody won his first Golden Globe, he also offered his own political commentary, but not in any joking matter. Brody was the main actor in The Brutalist, a dramatic story surrounding immigrants in post-WWII.

“This story, the character’s journey is very reminiscent of my mother’s and my ancestral journey of fleeing the horrors of war, coming to this great country. And I owe so much to my mother and my grandparents for their sacrifice,” Brody said. “Although I do not know fully how to express all of the challenges that you have faced and experienced and the many people who have struggled immigrating to this country, I hope that this work stands to lift you up a bit and to give you a voice. I’m so grateful. I will cherish this moment forever.”

Last year’s Golden Globes were also hosted by a comedian, Joy Koy, who had only ten days’ notice before his performance that many deemed lackluster. Over 10 million viewers tuned in this year, surpassing the 9.4 million viewers who tuned in last year, according to CBS. Both were still eclipsed by the Golden Globes 2020 broadcast, which earned 18.32 million viewers. Ever since, the program hasn’t been able to breach 14 million viewers, which was the norm dating back to 1996.