It will likely surprise no one at all that Joaquin Phoenix won the best actor award at this year’s Golden Globes for his astonishing performance in Joker. After all, it’s a feat of acting brilliance that will go down in history.
Something else that may go down in history though is the award show’s decision to censor Phoenix’s acceptance speech, much to the dismay of a slew of Joker fans. During his speech, the critically-acclaimed actor dropped a number of F-bombs amidst his thank-yous, all of which were muted, rendering his emotional words a bit of a mess.
It wasn’t just F-bombs that were bleeped, either. It seems as though he was in line to say a few things about climate change as well until the production team interrupted that, too. Who knows what magnificently poignant thing was about to spew forth?
Fans were not going to stand for it, though, as many of them took to Twitter to express their disdain at the show’s decision to censor Phoenix. Some were confused about whether he was being bleeped or it was an issue with the broadcast. Others, meanwhile, were just unhappy about the fact they never got to hear 100% of what he said. And some…well, some were just downright pissed off.
What did Joaquin Phoenix even say they bleeped him out and then played music and escorted him off the stage?
— Anna Frohling ? (@pencilforge) January 6, 2020
Looking forward to reading Joaquin Phoenix’s speech since so much of it is bleeped out.
— Marya (@emdot) January 6, 2020
WTF is Joaquin Phoenix saying at his acceptance speech????everything ? bleeped!!
— Barbara Howlett (@barbhowlett1) January 6, 2020
When will broadcast tv, via the FCC, catch up with the culture? That they censor “dirty words” while we are bombarded with images of violence and mayhem is insane. 60 minutes can display Epstein autopsy pics but Joaquin Phoenix gets bleeped for language we all hear all the time.
— Cliff Yaffe (@CliffYaffe) January 6, 2020
Joaquin Phoenix was a little drunk and slurry but I wish they hadn't bleeped his speech
He meant well
Don't take jets to Palm Springs
OK, starting tomorrow…#GoldenGlobes #JoaquinPhoenix pic.twitter.com/cC5oebGWiC— Kim Hornsby (@kimhornsby) January 6, 2020
I need Joaquin Phoenix’s speech with all of the curses NOT bleeped out!
— Nap Queen (@LaLiNaNza) January 6, 2020
Joaquin Phoenix is being bleeped too much, let it go, he is speaking from the heart!! ? #GoldenGlobes
— Albert Evangelista (@aarree) January 6, 2020
I’m gonna need to know what Joaquin Phoenix said that was bleeped out #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/3y3d7WAGil
— ☁️ (@thefakeyasmin) January 6, 2020
WHAT WAS BLEEPED OUT?! DeNiro did not seem entertained by Joaquin Phoenix #GoldenGlobes
— wolfpack of 1 (@SenorSharma) January 6, 2020
Aside from the censorship that marred his acceptance speech, the social media community have lavished Joaquin with praises for a performance that many of us can only describe as utterly incredible. It’s hardly surprising that Joker became the first R-rated movie of all time to reach $1 billion worldwide. And now, with a Golden Globe under his belt, it’s starting to look more and more likely that he’ll indeed get at least an Oscar nod, too, if not a win. Fingers crossed.
