Politics mentioned early and often at Golden Globes

Only a few seconds into his monologue, host Jimmy Fallon (Pictured) noted that the Globes was “one of the few places left where America still honours the popular vote.” (Photo: Golden Globes/Facebook)

Donald Trump was not in attendance at the Golden Globes, but he was there in spirit – or more precisely, as the target of a slew of political barbs.

Only a few seconds into his monologue, host Jimmy Fallon noted that the Globes was “one of the few places left where America still honours the popular vote.”

He was just getting started. Fallon went on to compare the president-elect to the evil King Joffrey in “Game of Thrones.”

“What would it be like if King Joffrey had lived?” Fallon asked. “Well, in 12 days we’re going to find out.”

Speaking of the film “Florence Foster Jenkins,” starring Meryl Streep as just about the worst opera singer in the world, Fallon opined: “Even she turned down performing at Trump’s inauguration.”

The mournful drama “Manchester by the Sea,” he said, was “the only thing from 2016 that was more depressing than 2016.” He also noted that votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of “Ernst & Young & Putin.”

It wasn’t just Fallon who indulged in Trump jokes. Hugh Laurie, accepting his award for best supporting actor in “The Night Manager,” speculated that this would perhaps be the last Golden Globes ceremony.

“I don’t mean to be gloomy, but it has the words ‘Hollywood,’ ‘foreign’ and ‘press’ in the title,” Laurie said, explaining his pessimism about the awards surviving the Trump era. He added that some Republicans don’t even like the word “association.”

He accepted his award “on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere.”