Celebrities, viewers cringe at Jo Koy's performance at the 2024 Golden Globes
Celebrities and viewers alike weren't as pleased with Jo Koy's performance at the 81st Golden Globes.
Making history as the first Fil-Am comedian to host the awards show, he drew mixed reactions to his performance, with most saying he bombed his opening monologue.
Jo Koy began the show by expressing how excited and thrilled he was about hosting, as well as how he was given the job last minute. The comedian continued to talk about notable TV series and films nominated including Beef, Succession, and Oppenheimer—which he joked about needing an extra hour for a backstory.
One of the notable parts of his opening monologue was his misogynistic Barbie joke, which did not earn a single laugh from the crowd.
“Oppenheimer and Barbie are competing for cinematic box office achievement; Oppenheimer is based on a 724-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is based on a plastic doll with big boobies,” Jo Koy joked, with the camera showing director Greta Gerwig and actor Ryan Gosling clearly unimpressed with the banter.
Jo Koy continued, “The key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet—or what casting directors call ‘character actor.’”
Some celebrities who also looked unamused were Selena Gomez who was seen putting her head down and resting it on her hands and Emma Stone who was seen seemingly frowning. Harrison Ford was also caught on camera displeased with the set.
Jo Koy would go on and blame the writers for the joke.
“Yo, I got the gig ten days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up! You’re kidding me, right? I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones you’re laughing at,” he said.
Later in the show, the comedian made a joke about how the Golden Globes had fewer shots of Taylor Swift than NFL games. The camera then panned to Swift keeping a straight face, pursing her lips, and then sipping her drink.
We're happy to have to you here tonight @taylorswift13! #GoldenGlobes @Jokoy pic.twitter.com/4lP0pHzjM6
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2024
What viewers from home thought of Jo Koy
Online, users were as unamused as the celebrities in the crowd. Some called him "the worst host ever" and blasted him for his Barbie joke.
Never invite Jo Koy to one of these again please. So, so awful. pic.twitter.com/Oqhpeiosp5
— Sethsfilmreviews (@sethsfilmreview) January 8, 2024
"The awkward silence at Jo Koy's Barbie jokes... He told smart jokes about the other nominees and all he had about Barbie was 'big boobs,'" one user posted on X.
Even Filipino fans watching made jokes about Jo Koy bombing, with some even disowning the comedian.
"'Crab mentality talaga for dragging [Jo Koy] down.' Sis, his entire humor is based on dragging the Filipin culture, using his mother. Sit down," one user wrote.
being filipino & watching jo koy bomb joke after joke at the #goldenglobes pic.twitter.com/lihWBSNg5G
— ANGELA (@brazouey) January 8, 2024
"He does not represent the Philippines. Please, he's only 50% Filipino. Our humor isn't like that," another commented.
The Fil-Am comedian also got flak for quipping about Saltburn star Barry Keoghan's genital size.
"Jo Koy's monologue was so awful that I muted the TV through most of it. As soon as [he] said 'Barry Keoghan' I hit the button again because I knew there was no way he was going to say anything mature," a user said.
"Making jokes about someone's penis, about an entire culture that has received xenophobic and hateful comments, about a sport and someone's relationship, and about other sensitive things... Jo Koy you are awful.." another added.
In his defense
There were some people who came to Jo Koy's aid. They said the comedian should be given some slack considering he was only made host about 10 days ago.
"As he said, he got the gig 10 days ago and the show is awful anyways unless Ricky Gervais was hosting people left and right. So chill out. Jo Koy doesn't deserve all the heat," one netizen wrote.
"Cut [Jo Koy] slack. Rewatching seven hours later & its a [different] perspective. Other than reductive 'Barbie Boobs,' Koy is shrewd ass funny with bananas delivery gusto, stealth, and ability to heckle back [fiercely.] Audience DOES laugh [including] (Robert) De Niro, (Bradley) Cooper, and (Ryan) Gosling playing along with Ken eyes," one added.
Prior to hosting the Globes, Jo Koy has sold out shows in Hawaii, San Francisco, Winnipeg, and San Diego as well as had stand-up specials on Netflix, including Live from Seattle and Comin' in Hot. In 2018, the Fil-Am personality was also recognized as the Stand-Up Comedian of the Year by the Just Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.
Held at Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 8 (Philippine time), the 81st Golden Globes recognized the best works in American television and films of 2023. Among the big winners were the team behind Oppenheimer and Succession.
