Chapter 453: Just laugh it off

At last year's Oscar ceremony, Chen Nuo used ingenious creativity to turn that old-fashioned grand event, which was originally regarded as rigid and long-winded, into the highest-rated one in the past twenty years.

On February 27, 2011, more than 47.4 million viewers watched ABC's live broadcast on TV, witnessing how a ninety-year-old award was reborn overnight.

That "star group photo" that set a forwarding history record has now been hailed by Wikipedia as "an indelible memory on the internet". And William Gan, the pizza delivery guy he temporarily pulled onto the stage at that time, has now become a not-so-small internet celebrity. The pizza shop he is in has tourists from all over the world coming to visit every day, taking photos at the door for commemoration.

The two pizzas Chen Nuo ordered casually that night—garden flavor and cheese bacon flavor—have now become the top-selling signature items of the shop.

For this reason, when the owner of the pizza shop was interviewed by an entertainment tabloid in the middle of the year, he also said that Chen Nuo is now a permanent honorary VIP of their pizza shop and can enjoy the treatment of eating pizza for free in the shop for life.

Precisely because of this, when the Oscar official announced two months ago that Billy Crystal would host the Oscar ceremony on February 26, 2012 for the ninth time, many netizens on Twitter, Facebook and even YouTube expressed strong disappointment—

"OMG, this Oscar is another boring gathering of grandpas, it seems I don't need to think about it anymore."

"Good news! The Oscar announced today that it has abandoned young viewers. (Middle finger)"

"Our wish is very simple, let Chen host! Why can't these people satisfy our little wish?"

When time came to late December, all major awards ceremonies were on the verge of being launched, so fans like Susan no longer held hope, thinking that it would be difficult to see someone at major awards ceremonies this year, and it would be difficult to laugh heartily like last year, feeling the double enjoyment of vision and psychology.

Unexpectedly, on Christmas Day, at 12:00 noon sharp, the Golden Globe official website, official Twitter account, Chen Nuo's Facebook personal account and Chinese Weibo account released a promotional poster that shocked the world at the same time:

"No Chen Nuo,

No Golden Globe."

Within ten minutes, the news was quickly reported as breaking news by major global entertainment media such as CNN, BBC, NBC, *Variety*, and *Entertainment Weekly*.

Within thirty minutes, this dynamic landed on the global number one trending list on Twitter, and the Weibo hot search list was also instantly occupied by it.

The number of related posts on Twitter has exceeded 250,000, and the Weibo popularity index has soared to 330,000.

"Is this real? OMG OMG OMG!!!"

"Chen Nuo is back!!! Thank you Santa!!!"

"Host the Golden Globe? Sister, I'm already screaming!!!!"

"?...!!! (Really? Wow, it's too crazy... This Christmas is really great!!!)"

"Chen Nuo-san is back! This year's awards ceremony, absolutely cannot be missed!"

"C'est le plus beau cadeau de Noël de tous les temps!! (This is the best Christmas gift ever!!)"

English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French... fans of various languages and regions expressed surprise and excitement, and the global social network seemed to be ignited at this moment.

Alison's phone was bombarded by reporters who were forced to work overtime one after another from 12:30 noon, and she almost didn't put down her phone for a whole hour. Until the moment the phone battery was exhausted and the screen went black, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, threw the phone on the sofa, and slumped in the chair in the hospital room.

"Mom, is Chen really going to host the Golden Globe?"

On the hospital bed, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl raised her head and asked.

She shaved a bald head, her skin was slightly pale due to long-term hospitalization, but her complexion was good, and a pair of eyes were smart and energetic, looking very intelligent.

"Yes." Alison got up and walked to the bed, sat down, and showed a particularly gentle smile, and asked softly, "Do you want to watch it?" Her current expression and tone were completely different from that tough professional public relations manager.

The girl nodded without hesitation and said: "I want to watch it, I think last year's Oscar was very interesting, it was the most interesting Oscar I have ever seen. I thought he wouldn't host it this year... Mom, I asked you before and you lied to me!"

"This was just decided a few days ago." Alison smiled: "I feel this year's Golden Globe will be more interesting."

"Oh?" The girl called out, "Does Chen have a secret weapon?"

Alison said solemnly: "Yes, he is preparing a secret weapon now. However, it's a pity, Zoe, you can't watch this Golden Globe."

The girl said disappointedly: "Ah? Why? Is the time very late?"

Alison smiled: "No, it's because I heard that the jokes he prepared this time are not suitable for children. I will tell the caregiver to let you go to bed early."

The girl complained: "Mom, you can't do this, I'm not small, I'm already 17 years old."

Alison smiled: "Only 17, you are not an adult yet, kid."

Speaking of this, the door of the hospital room was suddenly pushed open, a black-haired, Asian-faced nurse pushed an instrument cart for examination, and a portable ultrasound machine was placed on the cart. Behind her was an elderly male doctor with greying hair.

The young nurse smiled and said: "Zoe, I heard your voice from outside."

Zoe said: "Miss Zhang, my mom won't let me watch the Golden Globe! Do you know who the host is this year?"

The nurse pushed the instrument cart to the bedside, while skillfully preparing for the operation, and asked curiously: "Who? Could it still be Ricky Gervais?"

"No no no—I tell you, it is—"

"Wow, really or fake?!"

"Really really! More than an hour ago my mom also—"

Zoe chattered like a little sparrow,

Alison stood up quietly and walked out of the hospital room with the doctor. The two walked out of the hospital room one after the other and came to an office at the end of the corridor.

"The news just came, Zoe's stem cell matching was successful. After the cold chain transportation is completed, the surgery can be done next month." As soon as the doctor sat down, he said with a smile.

Alison said "Ah", almost unable to believe it, and said in surprise: "Really? Matching successful?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes, the matching degree is very ideal. The surgery time may be set on the 16th or 17th. During this time, pre-operative preparation will be arranged first."

"I... I want to ask, is the success rate high?" Alison's voice was a little trembling.

The doctor showed a comforting smile, "If everything goes well, the success rate is over 85%. Rest assured, we will definitely try our best."

Alison's eyes were red, obviously trying to hold back tears, "Okay... thank you, thank you very much. Then, what do I need to do now?"

The doctor said: "Accompany her more."

Three days after Christmas, Alison returned to LA.

When Chen Nuo met her at home, he was really surprised, "Hey, why did you come back so fast? Why didn't you stay at home for a few more days."

Alison smiled naturally and said: "I have to come back to watch those people at the Golden Globe. How about it, are we leaving now? Boss."

Chen Nuo looked at her deeply, nodded and said: "Let's go."

This day is the first meeting between Chen Nuo and the Golden Globe director team. Chen Nuo will determine the overall style and visual tone of this awards ceremony with the directors. After determining this point, the screenwriter team, art team and music director can start working, and the creative process of the entire ceremony can officially operate.

In the end, in this meeting, the communication between Chen Nuo's side and the Golden Globe director team was very smooth.

Not only because there are no second-generation circle insiders who don't know the interest mixed in the creative layer to interfere with opinions like the Oscars, but also because the Golden Globe and the Oscars have essential differences in the way they are held.

The venue of the Oscars is the Kodak Theatre. In terms of floor area, seating capacity, and stage scale, the Golden Globe is difficult to compare with it.

Since 1961, the Golden Globe has been fixed in the International Banquet Hall of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, adopting the form of "banquet + awards". The stage, or more accurately, the podium, is only about ten meters wide and about five meters deep. Compared with the specifications of the Oscars that can accommodate chorus and collective stage plays, this is more like a "temporarily built podium". Counting the scenery, if a few more award-winning guests go up, it is estimated that turning around is difficult.

Thus, at this ceremony of the Golden Globe, the host undertakes almost all the "performative" tasks and is the true core and soul of the evening party. Whether the entire ceremony is successful or a failure depends entirely on the host's performance.

There will be no guest performances, and there will be no dance performances. The only program in the 2+ hours is every move, every word of the host on the stage.

The whole meeting was incomparably smooth.

After all, now the whole United States feels—in the success of the last Oscar, he accounted for the vast majority of the credit. Those eye-catching ideas are said to have come from his own hands. This reputation has long been spread in the circle, enough to make evening party directors, screenwriters, and stand-up comedians across the country sigh in admiration.

In the final analysis, this is also the key reason why Philip Gabriel invited him.

In this way, what else to say?

The directors and screenwriters on the Golden Globe side naturally follow his lead.

However, although this is said, after discussing back and forth, Chen Nuo always feels that the result is not what he wants. After two or three hours, the only thing that makes him feel that he has gained something is probably just getting the contact information of a chief screenwriter, which is convenient for direct communication in the future.

It is also because of this that he is particularly glad—Alison rushed over from Canada. Otherwise, there is no one around him who can discuss. He estimated that he could only video link in the end. Otherwise, who would he talk to? Guli Nazha? Although he asked the other party to come up with ideas, he didn't have any expectations. After so many days, the girl didn't say anything to him. Linghu is even more impossible.

Leaving the office building of the Golden Globe, Chen Nuo got on an Alphard with thick black film. This car was a spot car he specially paid extra to buy. He only went to the car dealer to pick it up yesterday.

The reason is very simple: after Christmas, the police at his door were withdrawn, and the thief who stole the cement slab has not been caught yet. He really didn't feel at ease in his heart, so he wanted to get a car with a large space and easy to dodge. After all, if someone really wants to make trouble, the body type of Alphard can at least let him toss and turn between the seats—unlike ordinary sedans, if a shot comes over, there is no place to hide.

The car started, and he asked for the first time: "Alison, what do you think?"

Alison seemed to have expected him to ask, looked at him seriously and said: "I think they make sense, but... I saw you like that at the meeting, you obviously have other ideas. So, actually I want to know your opinion more."

Chen Nuo touched his nose and said: "My idea is very boring. Don't you think? On that kind of rural stage at the Hilton, saying a few lukewarm jokes, don't you think it's particularly meaningless?"

Alison frowned, as if lost in thought.

Chen Nuo waited for her reply seriously.

However, what he said is actually half true and half false.

True is—as a scumbag who is fickle, he likes freshness in his bones. Those people at the meeting kept suggesting that he continue the style of last year's Oscars, and he indeed resisted subconsciously.

False is—even if he wants to repeat, he can't repeat it.

Those people all think his language style is like that, humorous, natural. But how do they know that many of his jokes last year were adapted and plagiarized. The source, well, is that Oscar ceremony of Ellen DeGeneres—too classic, he watched it dozens of times, and picked out what could be used and processed it.

Except for that ceremony, he actually never studied other awards ceremonies. Now if he wants to find someone to copy again, he really can't find it.

As for his own language style?

It is not the harmless teasing of Ellen at all. What he is really good at is the face-to-face teasing he had with Black Widow and Harvey during the Oscar live broadcast last year, which has a feeling of killing the heart.

Speaking of which, this style also has a reason.

In his previous life, he was originally a die-hard fan of Dave Chappelle after he returned to the comedy world in 2020.

Ricky Gervais was criticized by the public and guests last year for being poisonous, saying he spoke too harshly.

If those people had heard the jokes Dave Chappelle said in his Netflix stand-up comedy album after 2020, they would know what is really harsh.

Race, gender, transgender, disability, Hollywood, stars, religion, all are objects to be teased, breaking cognitive inertia with "stinging sensation", and embodying the core charm of "the art of offense" to the fullest.

After listening to one show, you suspect why he wasn't hacked to death by the audience.

This question is also what Alison wants to ask.

"You mean... you want to be like Ricky Gervais? Aren't you afraid of being beaten on stage?" Alison jumped the corner of her mouth slightly, "Actually, I was joking with my daughter in Canada a few days ago, saying that the jokes you prepared are not suitable for her to watch, but I didn't expect you to really want to do this. Sorry, Chen, I have to stop you."

"Oh? Why?"

Alison looked at him very seriously and said: "Because this is inconsistent with your image."

"What we need is a three-dimensional public image. This image can have many sides, can be humorous, can be smart, can be humble, can also be proud... but, there shouldn't be a side that makes people feel uncomfortable. Do you understand? We can't let the audience think of you, just like Ricky Gervais, with some negative, frowning pictures in their minds. In that case, not only will it scare away sponsors and lose a lot of business opportunities, but it also violates our original intention of hosting the Golden Globe."

Alright, Alison is absolutely right. In fact, Chen Nuo doesn't want to be like Dave Chappelle either. It's cool to be cool, but he ended up being hated by the rainbow group, and he has to bring a bunch of bodyguards wherever he goes.

Not to mention, the hat of feminism he wears is now firmly worn, just as firm as Leonardo's image as an environmental fighter.

Two days ago, during Christmas, he even specially attended a Christmas charity dinner held by a feminist organization. This organization was founded on that sentence of his "MeToo". At that dinner, he donated a full 100,000 US dollars to help women who encountered sexual harassment in the workplace obtain legal aid.

This matter also made the *Los Angeles Times*, and the contributing reporter praised his conscience and anti-cancer efforts. It can be said that his current public image is incredibly good, simply like the "representative of Hollywood male virtue" in the new era.

If he were really crazy, he would destroy all this with some gender jokes—after all, just the donation was 100,000, and the subsequent public relations to buy announcements cost another 50,000. 150,000 US dollars thrown into the water, his heart aches.

Then, what should be done?

Just as Alison finished speaking, he felt a little distressed, a voice came from the back seat: "I don't think so."

Alison and Chen Nuo both looked back, only to see Guli Nazha sitting in the last row, looking at Alison seriously, and said: "Alison, do you think the boss's jokes are the same as Ricky Gervais? I don't think so."

"Oh? Then where do you think it's different?" Alison asked.

Guli Nazha recalled these days in her heart, every morning when she was swimming, the man would sit on the sun chair under the eaves and eat breakfast.

Saying he was eating breakfast, she was not a fool or blind. When she was swimming in a bikini, she would always feel a gaze lingering on her body.

To be honest, if it were someone else, she would have turned her face long ago. This is proper workplace sexual harassment.

But changing to Boss Chen... every time when she wanted to remind the other party a little bit, don't go too far, walking in front of the other party, looking at that face and the smile on the face, every time she would suddenly feel that there was nothing at all.

So at this time she hesitated for a while, and then said with some certainty: "The appearance is different. If the boss's jokes are too much at that time, I think... as long as the boss smiles, it will be fine."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 454 =====