Golden Globes highlights: Jerrod Carmichael, Jennifer Coolidge and winners

There was some mention of the controversy, which stemmed from Los Angeles Times reporting and boiled down to a lack of diversity and questionable journalistic ethics among members of the HFPA. In the past two years, the HFPA diversified its ranks and recently stated that it was 52 percent women and “51.5% racially and ethnically diverse.” NBC said good enough.

So did a bunch of celebrities, it turns out. Notable figures from television and film boycotted the Globes after the scandal but returned in droves this year, including Steven Spielberg, whose movie “The Fabelmans” won the top drama prize as well as best director, and the cast of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” who cleaned up in the comedy categories.

With tons of booze and little food (per “White Lotus” winner Mike White), the Globes appeared to be back in good favor — controversy be damned. Here are 10 things to catch up on, with the full list of winners below.

Jerrod Carmichael didn’t hold back

“I’ll tell you why I’m here,” the comedian began his monologue. “I’m here because I’m Black.”

Well, when you hire Jerrod Carmichael, you expect honesty.

After briefly rehashing last year’s controversy — noting the HFPA didn’t have a single Black member until after George Floyd’s death — Carmichael recalled producer Stephen Hill calling to offer him the hosting gig: “One minute, you’re making mint tea at home, the next, you’re invited to be the Black face of an embattled White organization,” Carmichael said. “Life really comes at you fast, you know?” It didn’t hurt, the stand-up suggested, that he was making $500,000 for the gig.

Later in the show, Carmichael emerged from backstage with three Globe statuettes in his arms, a reference to the trophies Tom Cruise returned two years ago in protest of the HFPA. What to do with them now? Carmichael suggested they try exchanging them for “the safe return of Shelly Miscavige,” the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige who hasn’t been seen in public for more than 15 years. (Cruise, of course, is famously a Scientologist.)

And let us not leave out the requisite Will Smith slap joke, with Carmichael stating they had given Smith the Rock Hudson Award for “best portrayal of masculinity on television.”

The misguided bullying of pianist Chloe Flower

Pianist Chloe Flower became a main character at the Globes for more than tickling the ivories throughout the night — for good and ill. The good? She is exceptionally talented and played some popular hits, including the “Sex and the City” theme song and a bit of “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid.”

The bad? It appeared to audiences at home that the poor woman was taking (lighthearted) abuse from award recipients whose speeches…