The Golden Globes, this year, was hosted by Jo Koy on January 7, 2023. Previous Golden Globes hosts include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Jo Koy is a stand-up comedian and actor, known for his specials that can be found on Netflix, examples being “Jo Koy: Live At The Los Angeles Forum” and “Jo Koy: In His Elements.” His normal routine consists of stand-up jokes and crowd work, a contrast to Golden Globes hosting routines that are pre-written and focused on honoring television and film.
Throughout his routine, Jo Koy made multiple comments about women that attracted controversy. He began with a comment saying, “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift”, attacking the singer and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Swift sipped her wine in response with a blank stare, and her fans took their disapproval to the internet. Swifties online commented things such as “The big difference between Jo Koy and Taylor Swift is: Everyone knows Taylor”.
Furthermore, “Barbie” was another of Koy’s victims throughout the night. In one segment, Joy Ko praised “Oppenheimer”, saying that “Oppenheimer” was based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, a contrast to his comments about “Barbie” as a plastic doll with big “boobies.” If you’ve watched the movie, you know that Barbie is a movie about girlhood, struggle, and self-acceptance, not just about the doll itself. Koy’s comments not only caused massive backlash, but also showed how films tailored to women and their interests are taken less seriously than other movies. “Oppenheimer” is art, representing significant historical events, whereas “Barbie” is seen as just a movie about a doll, unable to stand on that same pedestal.
Koy continued with Barbie throughout the night, saying, “It was kind of weird being attracted to a plastic doll. There’s just something about your eyes, Ryan [Gosling],” who plays Ken in the movie. Jo Koy followed it up with a line about how not “everything” is about Margot Robbie, the actress who plays Barbie in “Barbie.” His deprecation of the movie and its female actors embody what the movie is about itself, that no matter how hard Margot Robbie or any woman may work, she’ll always face criticism and scrutiny from the public in comparison to her male peers.
In response to public hate, Koy responded saying that he thought the joke about Swift and Kelce was “cute”, and justified his actions by sharing that he only had 10 days to write his monologue. This is where the Golden Globes holds responsibility for Jo Koy’s jokes; prior to the show, there is no doubt that they reviewed his jokes and cleared them, sacrificing women’s dignity at the risk of more press.
To be in an age where the public doesn’t accept such behavior from comedians and instead condemns them for their actions is a positive step in the right direction for women’s rights, but true accountability also has to come from those who make the jokes themselves. Hollywood once again has taken an opportunity to use women as scapegoats to get press coverage, even if it’s negative. But overall, the joke truly is on Jo Koy.
