Color us surprised, but here we are, and we can admit when we were wrong. We truly didn’t think the 2025 Golden Globes were going to be very good. And not just because Emilia Pérez was the most nominated film, but also because we just didn’t think Nikki Glaser had it in her to own the stage the way she did. But we were wrong. We were really, really wrong.
But truly, can you blame us? Remember the Jo Koy debacle of 2024? We had reasons to doubt. We didn’t laugh even once during the ceremony last year. In fact, we resorted to muting the host. So we were prepared to, at best, do that. At worst, do that and also have to put up with a movie that everyone seems to think is the best thing since sliced bread (Emilia Pérez), but that is truly just an outsider’s perspective of Latinidad, being celebrated.
shocked, we tell you. shocked
Instead, we got a pretty good show! Glaser wasn’t just passable, she was funny. Most jokes landed, and there were times when she was genuinely not just shocking—which is kinda easy to do—but hilarious. The wins weren’t even that bad, either, if we ignore the movie that shall not be mentioned again. Shōgun got the accolades it deserved, The Bear didn’t win everything (even if Jeremy Allen White still won an award, and The Bear is still not a comedy), Fernanda Torres won, and the night felt decently balanced.
Most importantly, perhaps, today we’re not talking about Nikki Glaser. That, for a host, is a good thing. Perhaps, with time, we will remember some of her jokes and laugh. But what you want out of a host is for her not to outshine the performers being celebrated. What you want out of a host is for them to fade into obscurity while the conversation remains on who won, which TV show people should watch, and which movie is the frontrunner going into the next award show.
So congratulations, Nikki Glaser. You did just that. And because of that, we’ll actually remember you fondly.
The Golden Globes aired on CBS. It is now available to stream on Paramount+.
