Welp, this joke definitely backfired!
Golden Globe fans are outraged at host Jerrod Carmichael for making light of Whitney Houston‘s death amid the glitzy award show on Tuesday night! If you missed it, after returning to the stage following a commercial break, the comedian claimed he had to “shout out the venue that we’re in,” saying:
“So, we are here, live, from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, the Beverly Hilton.”
The legendary musician sadly passed away in the California hotel on February 11, 2012. She was found unresponsive in a bathtub after accidentally drowning. Not sure how that’s a punchline…
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The in-person crowd seemed to agree since instead of a big laugh there was an audible gasp. Ch-ch-check out how awkward it was (below):
Yeesh!
Frustrated viewers were quick to take to Twitter to clap back at Carmichael’s quip — sending dozens of messages about how disrespectful the host was. Take a look:
“Who is this guy ? That was outrageous what he said about the late Whitney Houston. He should be banned from any awards show forever! #DISGRACEFUL!”
“And NOBODY Laughed!!! That s**t was uncalled for!”
“jokes about whitney houston will never be funny to me. that woman was in serious pain. her death is not a laughing matter.”
#JerrodCarmichael needs to never host again! He’s been awful all night, but he crossed the line saying “We are live at the hotel that killed #WhitneyHouston” That is not comedy. That’s destructive and distasteful!
“He WON’T be asked back”
“The Hotel that killed Whitney Houston” oooooooooh no baby we’re not doing that tonight #GoldenGlobes #GoldenGlobes2023 pic.twitter.com/uuHQSlilHe
— stephanie hsu oscar campaigner (@yeetbeete) January 11, 2023
Yikes…
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Another person pointed out that there were likely people who had worked on the new Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, in the audience (even though it was not nominated) — as well as people who knew her personally — making the joke extra cruel:
“Knowing a movie about Whitney is out and her friends were in the crowd”
Other eagle-eyed viewers believed the star may have faced some IRL consequences for the joke, pointing out:
“Jerrod hasn’t been back on that stage since that s**tty Whitney joke. Good riddance… Take ya paycheck and go.”
“Did Jerrod quit before the end of the show? He totally disappeared after the Whitney joke.”
He did, in fact, return later in the show, so this theory was quickly debunked. Still, it seems like he’d already pissed off much of the audience beyond repair.
Earlier in the night, the stand-up star was met with more uncomfortable laughter when he joked about exchanging the three Golden Globe awards Tom Cruise returned last year for the “safe return” of the Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige‘s wife Shelly Miscavige, who allegedly vanished in 2007. Leah Remini, a prominent former Scientologist who has been outspoken about the organization for years, loved the remark, but it was certainly a bold joke considering the rest of Jerrod’s audience! Reactions, Perezcious readers? What did you think of Jerrod’s hosting?! Let us know (below)!
[Image via WENN & NBC/Hulu]
