During the show’s opening monologue, Jerrod revealed how much he was paid to host — a cool $500,000, apparently — and he put the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s history of alleged discrimination and racism on blast.
He also made a joke about Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige’s wife Shelly, after referencing Tom Cruise’s decision to return his Golden Globes in 2021.
NBC / @Phil_Lewis_ / Via Twitter: @Phil_Lewis_
One of Jerrod’s jokes in particular was definitely — I mean, almost absolutely — referencing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars.
When the show returned from a commercial break, Jerrod said that the show had given an award off-air to Will Smith — specifically, the Rock Hudson award for “Best Portrayal of Masculinity on Television.”
Rock Hudson, if you’re unaware, was a massively famous film and TV star from the 1950s until his death from an AIDS-related illness in 1985. His costars and Hollywood friends later claimed that he was gay, and that his sexual identity was an open secret in Hollywood.
So…yeah. Wild joke! In general, Jerrod’s definitely given everyone plenty to talk about after the telecast ends, that’s for sure. You can’t say he didn’t really go for it. That’s comedy for you!
