Judd Apatow Says ‘I Believe We’re a Dictatorship Now’ and Jokes About His 10-Year ‘Quiet Boycott’ of the Golden Globes

While presenting the best director award at the Golden Globes, Judd Apatow revealed his 10-year “quiet boycott” of the awards ceremony ever since losing the best comedy movie award in 2016.

“This is very surprising that I am here, because I’ve been boycotting the ceremony for about 10 years. A very quiet boycott, no one seems to have noticed,” Apatow quipped. “We’ve had beef ever since my film ‘Trainwreck’ lost best comedy to Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian.'”

As the audience laughed, Apatow dug deeper: “You know, Ridley Scott, America’s favorite comedy director. Director of such hilarious comedies as ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Alien.'”

“I can’t wait until later tonight when best comedy is won by ‘Hamnet,'” he added, referencing the best drama contender about William Shakespeare grieving the loss of his child.

“But that’s water under the bridge. A lot has happened since then. That was 10 years ago,” Apatow went on. “Since then we’ve had COVID. I believe we’re a dictatorship now. I’m still pretty focused on this ‘The Martian’ thing, I’ve got to be honest with you.”

Before naming the nominees for best director, Apatow said, “As an example to inspire America, I’m going to squash that beef and start the healing right now.” He ended up handing the award to Paul Thomas Anderson, who won for “One Battle After Another.”

The question of what qualifies as a comedy versus a drama is a long-running debate in Hollywood awards season. Take “The Bear,” for example, an intense portrayal of grief and ambition in the culinary world, which has competed (and won) against sunny sitcoms like “Abbott Elementary.”

Apatow has personally received one Golden Globe nomination, for being a co-writer on the original song “Walk Hard” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”