On Sunday, January 7th, the annual Golden Globes were hosted, as the most prominent actors of 2023 gathered together to celebrate. Comedian Jo Koy hosted the event, but by the end of the night, unfortunately for the actors and viewing audience, Koy’s controversial jokes became the night’s focus.
Koy began the night with jokes about Ozempic, a drug used to help with weight loss, and “Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan’s genitals. Only five minutes into the night, the crowd’s reactions were already stale and unamused by the jokes.
“I’m convinced there was a laugh track at the golden globes because I didn’t see one person look even moderately amused by this guy’s jokes,” said X User BohoDayz.
After witnessing the reactions, Koy had a lot to say. He quickly became defensive and blamed his material on the lack of time he was given to prepare.
“Yes, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me right?” he stated.
Referencing “Killers of the Flower Moon”, Koy joked that “White people stole everything”. While describing “Oppenheimer”, Koy commented that “It needed another hour”. Koy also poked fun at Meryl Streep, saying “She won all the time”.
Although these jokes weren’t controversial, many said they fell flat and the punchlines weren’t obvious.
People on the internet also had very strong opinions about Koy’s hosting abilities.
“ohhh ok. I understand. jo koy is just there to make sure we get reaction gifs of celebs looking annoyed and tired,” said X User Zach Silberberg.
The material that got the most backlash online were his comments made about women. By reducing the Barbie movie down to just “plastic boobies” and bashing Taylor Swift, Koy angered a large population of Golden Globe viewers.
“Jo Koy making sexist jokes about successful women’s achievements at the Golden Globes is the exact reason why this song exists,” wrote Tik Tok user evajan.x, while using the song “The Man” by Taylor Swift.
By Monday, even people who hadn’t watched the Golden Globes heard about the negative impression Koy made. Social media blew up, and even celebrities like Greta Gerwig and Renee Rapp had spoken on the issue. That morning Koy released a statement addressing the responses to his hosting.
“I’m lying if I said it doesn’t hurt. Hosting is a tough gig, and yes, I am a standup comic, but [hosting] is a different style,” he said.
The reactions of the attendees of the Golden Globes and those who watched at home says a lot about the importance of a good host for award shows, especially one as prominent and successful as the Golden Globes.
