Golden Globes audience full of 'smoking-hot first responders and essential workers'

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler welcomed a very different in-house audience to the 78th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night.

The socially distanced, masked and very small crowd (sort of) filling the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom in Beverly Hills was a far cry from the usual packed tables full of buzzed A-listers. Instead, as Fey said, they were occupied by "smoking-hot first responders and essential workers."

"We are so grateful for the work that you do and that you're here so that the celebrities can stay safe," Fey said from the Rainbow Room in New York, which had a similar crowd.

Acknowledging that the workers no doubt saw crazy stuff on the job this past year, the duo traded lines, describing the crazy stuff that usually happens at the Globes. Meryl Streep drunk. Brad Pitt waving like a crazy person. Quentin Tarantino crawling under the tables.

"See, the point is, do whatever you want, 'cause they [the Globes] are messy."

Judging by the laughter from the crowd, what this special audience wanted to do was enjoy the rest of the evening.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.