Bill Cosby, Mel Gibson and Roman Polansky were among the few (corrected: the many) Hollywood bold-faced names that got trashed by British comedian and Golden Globe host Ricky Gervais (“The Office”). There was a whiff of shenanigannery to the affair, with Gervais promising that he would hold his tongue only to start lashing out at everyone before him and creating, I assume, some major discomfort among some seated in the audience. It was funny. Hey, cynicism is what we do in the 21st century so let it rip. But are we the better for it? I’m not sure. Let’s compare and contrast: Here’s Audrey Hepburn receiving a Lifetime Award in 1990.

Best motion picture, drama
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
CAROL
WINNER: THE REVENANT
ROOM
SPOTLIGHT

Best motion picture, musical or comedy
JOY
SPY
THE BIG SHORT
WINNER: THE MARTIAN
TRAINWRECK

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama
Saoirse Ronin, BROOKLYN
Cate Blanchett, CAROL
Rooney Mara, CAROL
WINNER: Brie Larson, ROOM
Alicia Vikander, THE DANISH GIRL

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy
WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence, JOY
Melissa McCarthy, SPY
Amy Schumer, TRAINWRECK
Maggie Smith, THE LADY IN THE VAN
Lily Tomlin, GRANDMA

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama
Bryan Cranston, TRUMBO
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio, THE REVENANT
Michael Fassbender, STEVE JOBS
Eddie Redmayne, THE DANISH GIRL
Will Smith, CONCUSSION

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture
Paul Dano, LOVE
Idris Elba, BEASTS OF NO NATION
Mark Rylance, BRIDGE OF SPIES
Michael Shannon, 99 HOMES
WINNER: Sylvester Stallone, CREED

Best performance by actress in a supporting role in a motion picture
Jane Fonda, YOUTH
Jennifer Jason Leigh, HATEFUL EIGHT
Helen Mirren, TRUMBO
Alicia Vikander, EX MACHINA
WINNER: Kate Winslet, STEVE JOBS

Best director, motion picture
WINNER: Alejandro González Iñárritu, THE REVENANT
Todd Haynes, CAROL
Tom McCarthy, SPOTLIGHT
George Miller, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Christian Bale, THE BIG SHORT
Steve Carell, THE BIG SHORT
WINNER: Matt Damon, THE MARTIAN
Al Pacino, DANNY COLLINS
Mark Ruffalo, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

Best screenplay, motion picture
Emma Donoghue, ROOM
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, SPOTLIGHT
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, THE BIG SHORT
WINNER: Aaron Sorkin, STEVE JOBS
Quentin Tarantino, THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Best original score, motion picture
Carter Burwell, CAROL
Alexander Desplat, THE DANISH GIRL
WINNER: Ennio Morricone, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Daniel Pemberton, STEVE JOBS
Ryuchi Sakamoto, THE REVENANT

Best motion picture, animated
ANOMALISA
THE GOOD DINOSAUR
WINNER: INSIDE OUT
THE PEANUTS MOVIE
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE

Best original song, motion picture
LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
ONE KIND OF LOVE
LOVE & MERCY
SEE YOU AGAIN, FURIOUS 7
SIMPLE SONG #3, YOUTH
WINNER: WRITING’S ON THE WALL
SPECTRE

Best motion picture, foreign language
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT
THE CLUB
THE FENCER
MUSTANG
WINNER: SON OF SAUL