Jo Koy Addresses Criticism Over Golden Globes Hosting, Says “It’s A Tough Room”

Jo Koy faces criticism over Golden Globes hosting

Just like every year, the 81st Golden Globe Awards was highly anticipated for its stellar lineup of nominated actors and films. But for Filipino-Americans, this year’s awards held extra significance as it featured the first-ever Fil-Am host, Jo Koy.

Unfortunately, the excitement took a downturn after the comedian delivered “bad” and even “misogynistic” jokes during his 10-minute monologue, sparking backlash on the internet.

Jo Koy’s “misogynistic” jokes

Jo Koy Opening Monologue I 81st Annual Golden Globes

Jo Koy’s 10-minute monologue.
Video credit: Golden Globes via YouTube

Some jokes from Jo Koy’s monologue were deemed inappropriate, particularly those that targeted the film Barbie and singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who was in attendance.

“Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” Jo Koy joked.

He also commented on Taylor Swift, drawing criticism for making the artist uncomfortable: “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”

Social media backlash

Image adapted from: @sethsfilmreviews via X

The jokes not only garnered a negative response from the star-studded audience but also faced immediate backlash from viewers on the internet.

Image adapted from: @moonlithoax via X

Twitter users shared clips of actors appearing exasperated by the jokes, with one tweet even featuring Taylor Swift sipping her drink and appearing unamused.

Image adapted from: @gretchenho via X

Filipino TV host Gretchen Ho even shared her thoughts on Jo Koy’s hosting on X. She wrote, “Hosts are always, always responsible for their scripts. Whether it’s your own or not, at the end of the day, it’s your face and career on the line. This was such a huge stage, and a wasted opportunity.”

Comedian goes on TV to address criticism

Video credit: @ABCGMA3 via X

To address the negative reviews, the comedian promptly went on TV the day after the Golden Globes. 

“It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie… I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt. I hit a moment there where I was like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is just a tough gig,” he shared on GMA3: What You Need to Know.

He added, “We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did.”

Additionally, the comedian also acknowledged that his joke about Taylor Swift was “a little flat”.

Jo Koy receives backlash for “bad” jokes

It’s rather unfortunate how Jo Koy’s historic hosting gig turned out. Let this serve as a lesson for future hosts, not only at the Golden Globes but in any hosting role, to avoid stumbling in the spotlight.

If you want to find out more about the comedian, check out this list of Jo Koy facts. Or get to know another Filipino pride, actress Dolly De Leon, who was nominated at last year’s Golden Globe Awards.

Cover image adapted from: Golden Globes via YouTube, Golden Globes