They ribbed celebrities. They put on funny disguises and silly Boston accents. They cheekily played up their own comedic rivalry. As hosts of the 2013 Golden Globes, those sassy, wry queens of comedy, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, hit one out of the park.
The pair, longtime friends who co-anchored Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" from 2004 to 2006, managed to appeal to everyone in the crowd — but they also injected some female-centric humor that generally played better with the glitzy audience than that of their recent predecessor, Ricky Gervais.
"Ricky Gervais could not be here tonight, because he is no longer technically in show business," cracked Fey, alluding to the Hollywood egos he bruised when hosting the show in 2010, and then again for another two years.
"We want to assure you that we have no intention of being edgy or offensive tonight because as Ricky learned the hard way, when you run afoul of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they make you host this show two more times," quipped Poehler. Of course, they produced a few of their own zingers amidst the string of mostly good-natured jokes.
Here are their top five moments.
1 Though the pair mostly steered clear of Hollywood insider jokes, Poehler got the biggest laugh (and some dropped jaws) with this remark during their opening monologue: "I haven't really been following the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty," she said, recognizing its director/producer Kathryn Bigelow. "But when it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron." And later in the monologue, Fey lauded Anne Hathaway for putting up with another man: "I have not seen anyone so totally alone and abandoned like that since you were onstage with James Franco at the Oscars."
2 After surprise presenter Bill Clinton strode onstage to a standing ovation (and introduced best drama nominee, Lincoln), Poehler breathlessly announced, "Wow! What an exciting special guest! That was Hillary Clinton's husband!" SNL fans would hear the extra layer in that joke: Poehler famously impersonated Mrs. Clinton during her time on SNL.
3 When Julianne Moore won best actress in a mini-series or TV movie for playing Sarah Palin in HBO's Game Change, she gave Fey an opportunity to riff on her own past as a Palin impersonator. "Me, too," chirped Fey. "I used to win prizes for that too. I think if Governor Palin was here tonight, she'd say [poorly attempting to sound like Palin] 'You betcha!'" Realizing how unlike the former Alaskan governor she sounded, she tried again, to no avail. "I can't do it anymore," she said, sighing. "Maybe it's for the best," comforted Poehler.
4 "Well the show is really taking a turn," complained Poehler, after both she and Fey lost the best actress in a TV comedy award to Girls' Lena Dunham. "Yes, time to start drinking," Fey replied, as each took a swig of hard liquor. "Everybody's getting a little loose now that we're all losers," said Poehler. A sneering Fey then sarcastically congratulated the 26-year-old Dunham, who had thanked both hosts in her acceptance speech for helping her get through the tough times in her young life. "I'm glad we got you through middle school," Fey said. "Middle school?!"
5 In the TV realm, Homeland was the big winner of the night, racking up awards for best drama and best actor and actress. Critics tend to agree that its accolades are well-deserved; the show's great acting and well written twists and turns have helped raise the bar in TV drama. That said, Season 2 definitely had its slow moments, which is why Poehler's joke about the show was that much funnier to its die-hard viewers. "I like Homeland," she said. "But I don't think it's as good as that other show, 'Previously on Homeland.' Boy, that thing is jam-packed." So funny, because…well, so true!