Five best jokes from presenter Seth Rogen at Hollywood Film Awards

When it comes to awards shows, leading men and women sporting high fashion and gushing gratitude are worthy distractions, but isn’t it really about the laughs?

That’s what Seth Rogen proved at Monday evening’s Hollywood Film Awards gala, sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and held at the Beverly Hilton, where the funnyman was on hand to present the year’s comedy honor to frequent collaborator Judd Apatow.

With his honking voice and impeccable delivery, Rogen had A-listers Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Richard Gere rolling in the aisles -- no one laughing harder than Harvey Weinstein. Seth, so you know where to take your next project.’

PHOTOS: Hollywood Film Awards photo booth

The Ministry was on hand, and happily presents the five best moments from Seth’s speech:

1. “Why would you let me follow two of the most handsome guys in the world? I would [sleep with] those guys,” Rogen cracked of the men who preceded him, designer Tom Ford and “The Hangover” star Cooper.

2. “The Hollywood Film Awards are known as the first stop of awards season. Or, if you work in comedy, it’s the last stop … we’ll lose to a musical at the Golden Globes. The funniest movie in the world will come out, and we’d lose to ‘Les Miserables,’” Rogen said, underscoring the oft-ridiculed practice of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s lumping comedy and musical in the same category.

PHOTOS: Stars hit the Hollywood Film Awards

3. “He’s an incredible director, he’s not as good as Ben Affleck,” Rogen said of Apatow. “If Judd directed ‘Argo’ it would’ve been very unsuspenseful and I would have been in it.”

4. “The most amazing thing about this awards show tonight is that none of these movies have come out yet,” Rogen said, taking a dig at the award campaigning process as, indeed, some of the biggest contenders for gold haven’t left the editing room yet.

5. “Do not get caught doping or they will strip you of this award in the future,” Rogen advised Apatow, referencing Lance Armstrong’s recent scandal and subsequent loss of seven Tour de France titles.

[For the record, 2:13 p.m, Oct 23: An earlier version of this post said Rogen presented Apatow with a producers award. It has been updated to reflect that Apatow received the gala’s comedy award.]

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