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The Golden Globes were Sunday night. I loved the fashion this year (Natalie Portman’s dress was my fav), but like many of you, I thought the host was terrible and a lot of the presenter skits fell flat. I try to be nice, though, and have a general rule to not blame the presenter for bad material if they’re really trying to sell it. Show me your metaphorical spirit fingers while awkwardly reading a bad script off a teleprompter and I’ll give you a pass and maybe a pity chuckle. America Ferrera really tried to make what could have been one of the better skits of the night happen, but was dragged down by her co-presenter Kevin Costner. The premise was Kevin acknowledging and paying tribute to America’s famous speech in Barbie about it being impossible to be a woman while America pretended to be flattered at the recognition.
Kevin Costner stepped one foot into Barbie land on Sunday night. While presenting the Golden Globe award for best actress in a musical or comedy series during the 81st annual awards ceremony, he spoke with America Ferrera about the importance of Barbie’s empowering moments — and even recited a bit of her now-iconic monologue.
It started when Ferrera, 39, pointed to Costner’s role in The Bodyguard. “When you say, ‘Goodbye, Rachel.’ And then she leaves and then you run to each other and then… chills,” Ferrera said.
Then, Costner, 68, surprised Ferrera — and the audience — with a word-for-word recreation of that Barbie moment. “You know, you have a scene that I really love. I think a lot of people really love that scene,” he said before going into the monologue.
“You know, ‘It’s literally impossible to be a woman.’ You know that, ‘You’re so beautiful. You’re so smart and kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough.’ That was pretty good,” the actor continued.
A stunned Ferrera replied, “Did you, Kevin Costner, memorize my monologue about womanhood from Barbie?”
The Yellowstone actor then simply deadpanned, “No.”
“But it’s an important message, and it always serves to remind me what’s possible in films. It just reminds me that when we take our time, when we manage to get it right, when film is working at its very best, it can be about moments you never ever forget,” Costner explained.
He continued, “A look, a touch, a kiss, a speech, and you just had one of those moments. And all the actors nominated tonight know so well the power of writing that they’ve been gifted with and that they have the chance to live forever.”
Ferrera ended the bit on one last chuckle. “Wow. So you’re not going to do the rest of my monologue right now on national television?” she asked.
I don’t know if Costner is just really dry in real life or if he had just found out he was presenting 15 minutes before they went on and wasn’t briefed on the material, but he just seemed so uncomfortable up there. Was he stoned? Did he feel silly having to recite a few lines from “girl’s” monologue? He loosened up as it went on, but you could just see America’s jazz hands waving as she tried to bring his energy level up. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but this could have been a really memorable moment for this year’s Globes. They should have gotten Harrison Ford to do it in character as Dr. Paul Rhoades in one of my favorite shows from last year, Shrinking. I think Ford and Ferrera would have been a really fun duo reciting that bit. Also, I thought America looked great and you can count me among those who loved Margot Robbie’s Superstar Barbie look. It’s a shame Barbie didn’t win more awards and instead was the punchline of some pretty misogynist jokes.
Presenting the award for Best Television Female Actor – Musical/Comedy Series it's 🎀 Barbie monologue experts 🎀 @AmericaFerrera and Kevin Costner! #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/mweWl9OZJt
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2024
photos credit Getty and Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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