Golden Globe Awards 2012: Ricky Gervais targets Kim Kardashian, Helen Mirren in his monologue [Updated]

So, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Ricky Gervais got some good laughs -- and only one real groan -- in his opening monologue Sunday (Jan. 15) at the Golden Globes. He trained his sights on the likes of Kim Kardashian (not a hard target, that), Jodie Foster by way of Mel Gibson and Helen Mirren, among others.

Some of the best -- and cringiest -- lines from the opening monologue:

- "The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars -- but without all that esteem."

- "The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton, basically -- a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker, and more easily bought. Allegedly."

- After saying the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had given him a list of rules, including no mention of Mel Gibson or his recent work, "... and especially not Jodie Foster's 'Beaver.' I haven't seen it myself. I've spoken for a lot of guys here, they haven't seen it either. But that doesn't mean it's not any good." (Foster seemed to take it in stride, but that got a pretty big groan.)

- After applauding "Bridesmaids" for showing women can be just as vulgar as men: "I actually heard for research, they spent a weekend with Dame Helen Mirren. ... She's got good PR, but she's off the rails."

- After introducing presenter Johnny Depp, whose movie "The Tourist" he slagged last year: "I have a question for you. ... Have you seen 'The Tourist' yet?"

As for the rest of the show? Eh. He provided few chuckles here and there -- calling Colin Firth a racist was amusing but totally undercut by the telecast cutting to a shot of actors from "The Help" -- but nothing that's going to have us talking for days afterward. It felt as though he was a little regretful of his performance last year and deliberately tacked away from his more cutting comments.

Here's the video of Gervais' monologue.