I could have posted a picture of Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes. Aren’t you glad I posted a picture of Emma Stone, instead?

Johnny Knoxville made a lot of money by being a jackass. In fact, he turned Jackass into a popular MTV show and into several movies. He and his crew would do incredibly stupid things to each other, and it was hilarious. I would find myself laughing in spite of whatever good taste and common sense my mama was able to instill in me. (Which was not nearly enough, clearly.)

Knoxville was funny. He was entertaining. In just the same way, so was Meryl Streep at the 74th Annual Golden Globes Sunday night on NBC.

So I don’t quite get those condemning her. We don’t condemn Knoxville for riding a grocery cart down a hill into a rock. We know it’s stupid. It’s still funny.

NEVER LET AN ENTERTAINER’S POLITICS SPOIL ENTERTAINMENT

If I boycotted every entertainer who advocates for giving the government more power, endlessly, I’d be stuck watching cat videos on YouTube. Endlessly.

I’m unconcerned with the politics of the chef preparing my food. I’m unconcerned with the politics of the pilot flying my plane. And I’m certainly unconcerned with whatever thoughts are bouncing around Seth Rogen’s head when I watch a comedy about a guy who smokes weed all the time.

Because that is what all his movies are about.

It’s possible to be politically silly and still entertaining. Like this: Meryl Streep portrayed Hollywood as some kind of oppressed minority in danger of persecution by the federal government. Yet, I don’t recall her standing up for the groups singled out by Obama’s IRS for their political stances when the Donkeys controlled the White House.

Now that’s funny. Or at least hypocritical.

Streep was correct, however, in pointing out that Trump mocked a disabled guy, and that is a bad example for a leader to set. (Just stop with the denial, Trump fans. Any excuse for that incident is ridiculous). Mocking a man’s physical disability is bad. This isn’t a controversial position. Or it shouldn’t be.

Yet those making excuses for it would have criticized a Democrat for the same behavior. And that hypocrisy is exactly what Streep is guilty of.

It is better to say, for example, that Obama’s IRS harassment of certain groups was despicable even though you support Obama. Likewise, it’s better for Trump supporters to call out Trump’s bad behavior rather than deny it.

The absurdity is when both sides ignore and therefore enable the bad behavior of their political friends while condemning the bad behavior of political opponents.

ON TO SOME HIGHLIGHTS

–Jenna Bush sighting!

Instead of asking celebrities “who are you wearing?” on the red carpet, Jenna Bush asked, “What are you going to drink and how much?”

She’s a chip off the old block.

–Sure, celebrities can be insufferable political blowhards. But other than a few Jimmy Fallon jokes in the opening monologue, and Hugh Laurie, and Meryl Streep, there weren’t that many mentions of Trump. Some of Fallon’s jokes:

  • “Welcome to the Golden Globes, where America still honors the popular vote!”
  • After mentioning Game of Thrones, he asked “What if King Joffre had lived? Well in twelve days we’re gonna find out.”
  • He explained the Golden Globe votes were tallied by the accounting firm of “Ernst, Young and Putin.”
  • He described the movie Florence Foster Jenkins, about the world’s worst opera singer: “And even she turned down performing at the inauguration.”

–But that is what happens at these shows. They make fun of people, especially themselves. Fallon said that Matt Damon’s greatest acting performance was “telling Ben Affleck he liked Batman vs. Superman.”

— I am really out of touch. Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds announced the category “Best Supporting Actor in a Movie,” some guy from the moving picture Nocturnal Animals won. Apparently this was not about owls. I didn’t see it.

— I noticed just about all the men at the show have on bow ties and just about all the women have on double-sided tape. (That’s a joke about the low-cut dresses. I know, I know. It’s not funny if you have to explain it.)

–Sarah Paulson won for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in the television show The People vs. O.J. Simpson. Clark, of course, is well-known for losing an unlosable contest. Kinda like Hillary.

— It was 49 minutes into the show until Trump came up again. Hugh Laurie said he was sad that this was going to be the last Golden Globes, which is put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. He said “I don’t mean to be gloomy, but it has Hollywood, foreign and press in it.” Get it? Three things Trump doesn’t like.

–Steve Carell made fun of the pretentiousness in the room, while announcing the winner for Best Animated Movie, when he said “Good evening peers and regular people.”

–Gal Gadot and Chris Hemsworth announced the winner for the Best Foreign Language movie. Gadot is from Israel, where they speak Hebrew, so that makes sense. Hemsworth is from Australia, where they speak … uh … English.

And remember: Life is too short to care if entertainers are smart