Everyone’s getting shellacked this year. First it was the Democrats in the midterm elections, then it was the New York City metro area’s post-Christmas snowpocalypse, now it’s everyone in Hollywood who so much as had their tie on crooked for the Golden Globes. And so it goes. During last week’s Golden Globes telecast, host Ricky Gervais shellacked, shocked and shamed every guest in the room for three hours until every whack-job became a hack-job, and vice versa. It was a brutal, shameless massacre of every ego in sight and it was exactly what everyone needed.

Gervais has received a head-on collision’s worth of whiplash since the Golden Globes for his all-out war on everything associated with the evening: Cher, “The Tourist”s inexplicable multiple nominations, Tim Allen’s entire career, Cher, Charlie Sheen’s drunken rampages, you name it. An evening dedicated to honoring achievements in movies and television very quickly turned into a glorified roast, and everyone seemed shocked. But why?

The Golden Globes, or as I like to call them, “drunk Oscars,” are notable for their free flow of alcohol, combination of awards for television and movies and general suckiness compared to the Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Golden Globes, but an awards show that doesn’t have Beyoncé sing a rendition of every nominated song pales in comparison. The Oscars have an intangible aura unrelated to the naked golden statuette; they are time-honored, mystical and symbolic. No one held their breath before Martin Scorsese won Best Director at the Golden Globes, but when his trio of director bros handed him the honor at the 2007 Oscars, there was cause to wipe the celebratory pee off of your leg.

Usually, the Globes eschew a singular host and instead have a presenter introduce the evening, but I guess they brought in two-time host Gervais this year to add a little spice. Or maybe to distract from the fact that Sony bribed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to heap nominations on their truly shameful Burlesque. Regardless, the Globes had it coming when they asked Gervais to host, and no one should blame him for being harsh.

Gervais is known to improvise. No, not known to, expected to improvise. He had no script for his Globes gig, but instead rather impressively recited some previously practiced material. In our era of 5-second delays and the FCC’s kung-fu grip, it’s remarkable that HFPA was even allowed to invite the notoriously snarky Gervais to host. Disgusted viewers said “never again,” after he hosted last year’s Globes. Yet, the heads at HFPA gave him another go. Knowing Gervais’ track-record at the Globes, I was stunned at how horrified the audience looked and how shocked my viewing companions were. We know history repeats itself, so I guess amnesia is a good explanation for this, or maybe naiveté.

I, too, was taken aback by Gervais’ candor, but mostly at how refreshing it was. Awards shows practically beg for a Percocet; they revolve around mock-stoic faces and saccharine sincerity. Artificiality defines awards shows and I’m completely addicted to them as it is, but there’s nothing like a hard slap in the face to remind you exactly what you’re ingesting. Sure, Gervais’ diss at Robert Downey Jr.’s rehab stays stung; he’s since proven himself as a fine and worthy actor. Actors think they’re put on a pedestal for life – not just an evening- making them impenetrable to negativity. Who said they must be treated with kid gloves to protect their oh-so fragile confidence? They don’t deserve insults, but they shouldn’t be so righteous if a known cynic throws some put-downs into his introduction. Stalking onto the stage and putting him in his place just fuels his fire. I’m looking at you, Mr. Head of HFPA Man.

There’s a time and a place for everything. Gervais wasn’t trying to insult anyone’s character but dragged a couple skeletons onto the stage. He probably should have saved his gay Scientologist comment for his dinner table, but he shouldn’t be vilified for saying it. HFPA gave him a platform, they knew his shtick, and provided him with copious amounts of alcohol. What proceeded was both unsurprising and invigorating. Gervais is a martyr for Hollywood skeptics, something that I doubt I will be able to say after the Hathaway-Franco-hosted Oscars to come.