Not Mincing Words About the HFPA
Following backlash for the complete lack of Black members in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s voting body, Fey and Poehler faced the controversy head on. “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is made up of around 90 international—no Black—journalists, who attend movie junkets each year in search of a better life,” Fey quipped. “We say around 90 because a couple of them might be ghosts, and it’s rumored that the German member is just a sausage that somebody drew a little face on.”
The jabs continued throughout the monologue when Fey brought up the Golden Globe-winning animated film, Soul. “Soul is a beautiful Pixar animated movie where a middle-aged Black man’s soul accidentally gets knocked out of his body and into a cat,” Fey explained. “The HFPA really responded to this movie because they do have five cat members.”
Poehler joined in on the HFPA roasting, telling the audience, “Everybody is understandably upset at the HFPA and their choices. Look, a lot of flashy garbage got nominated, but that happens, OK? That’s like their thing. But a number of Black actors and Black-led projects were overlooked.”
After calling award shows “stupid,” Fey added, “The point is, even with stupid things, inclusivity is important. And there are no Black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press. I realize, HFPA, maybe you guys didn’t get the memo because your workplace is the back booth of a French McDonald’s, but you got to change that. So here’s to changing it.”
