Jo Koy and Taylor Swift at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Screenshot from Golden Globes YouTube. Graphics by Sam Yap / INQUIRER.net
Taylor Swift was clearly not amused when she was called out by Filipino-American actor-comedian Jo Koy who was hosting the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7 (Monday, January 8 in the Philippines), held in Beverly Hills, California.
The “Cruel Summer” singer-songwriter’s death glare at Jo Koy was streamed on video, which became viral following the latter’s shade at Swift’s recent National Football League obsession where she is recently often seen cheering for her boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Swift was at the Golden Globes for “The Eras Tour” concert films, which has been nominated for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award.
“As you know, we came on after a football doubleheader,” Jo Koy said following a break at the awards show. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”
As he spoke Swift’s name, the cameras panned to the singer where she was shown pursing her lips, before taking a sip from her champagne flute, keeping her expression inscrutable and unsmiling.
Taylor Swift reacts to joke from #GoldenGlobes host Jo Koy about the NFL.
“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift”
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 8, 2024
Jo Koy’s joke fell flat and soon backfired as the stand-up comedian became subject of criticism on social media, not only for referencing Swift, but also for some of his spiels.
At his opening monologue, he claimed to having the “best seat” as host of the prestigious annual awards show, but his punch lines touching on movie- and series-related jokes and celebrities were poorly received by some of those present at The Beverly Hilton.
One of his remarks included his “weird attraction” to the plastic doll Barbie, where Greta Gerwig based her commercial film of the same title, whose “key moment” in the film Jokoy said went from “bad breasts, cellulite, and flat feet, or what casting directors call, a character actor.”
On Oppenheimer, he said the movie, which won the most awards that evening, “needed another hour.”
“I love the ‘Oppenheimer’… My New Year’s resolution for 2004 is to finish ‘Oppenheimer’ in 2025. Like seriously, I’m almost there, especially the first season,” Jo Koy said as the camera panned to Robert Downey Jr., who was now raising an eyebrow, and to director Christopher Nolan with a chagrined expression.
Incidentally, the historical movie won Best Supporting Actor for Downey, and Best Director for Nolan. It was also named Best Drama and Best Original Score.
Jo Koy further said “Oppenheimer” answered a question that had been bugging him for years. “Yes, scientists do get laid. As long as they look like Cillian Murphy,” he said, as this year’s Best Actor for Drama awardee laughed.
These, and his other remarks caused the audience to either squirm or have a dismal response.
To his credit, Jo Koy said that he merely signed the contract accepting the Golden Globe hosting stint just 10 days prior, thus he had very little time to think about his spiels. He further pointed out that some of his writers brought the punch lines to life.
“Some I wrote. Some other people wrote,” he said. “Yo, got the gig 10 days ago. You want a perfect monologue? Shut up. You’re kidding me, right? Slow down. I wrote some of these and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.
His explanation, however, failed to convince netizens, who took to social media to share their two cents on his hosting gig, with some asking organizers to “never invite him” to the Golden Globes in the future. Others also said the comedian-actor shouldn’t be lumped with Filipinos due to his heritage
Never invite Jo Koy to one of these again please. So, so awful. pic.twitter.com/Oqhpeiosp5
— Sethsfilmreviews (@sethsfilmreview) January 8, 2024
So far Jo Koy has insulted Taylor Swift, the woman responsible for the highest-grossing music tour EVER, and the women responsible for the highest grossing film in Warner Bros history — Barbie. This year, of all the years. Reductive, sexist, and cheap. Hate it. #GoldenGlobes
— Michelle Kinney (@MichelleKinney) January 8, 2024
please stop texting me about jo koy, he’s only half filipino we are not responsible for the other half. philippines innocent
— alex (@alex_abads) January 8, 2024
10 minutes in and Jo Koy has already:
– Threw his writers under the bus
– Made 76 offensive jokes
– Endlessly complained the audience isn’t digging his jokes
– Made everyone in the world hate him
– Made everyone grateful for Jerrod Carmichael from last year— TylerCWhitmore (@TylerCWhitmore) January 8, 2024
i have never in my life heard of a jo koy, but suddenly i am ready to campaign for him to never work in hollywood again. i’m so sick of the misogyny in 2024 when 2023 was literally the year of Barbie + Taylor Swift, the year it felt like womanhood was finally being celebrated… pic.twitter.com/lfQRHHoUZh
— savannah claims SLUT! and Is It Over Now? (@SavannahLovely) January 8, 2024
Before the Golden Globes, Jo Koy revealed that hosting the prestigious awards ceremony is bringing his childhood dreams to life and that watching the show with his mother used to be a “ritual” for them.
The stand-up comedian, born Joseph Glenn Herbert, is the second Asian to host the show after Sandra Oh. He is the first host of Filipino descent to be tapped as the master of the ceremony.