Jo Koy responds to criticisms of his 2024 Golden Globes hosting stint

MANILA, Philippines – Filpino-American comedian Jo Koy reacted to the criticism he received during his 2024 Golden Globes hosting stint on Monday, January 8 (Manila time).

In a Good Morning America episode that aired on Tuesday, January 9 (Manila time), Jo Koy looked back on his performance at the awards ceremony, which he said he was only given 10 days to prepare for.

“Well, I had fun. It was a moment that I’ll always remember. It [was] a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not gonna lie. Getting that gig, and then having the amount of time that we had to prepare, that was a crash course,” he said.

The 52-year-old comedian admitted that his feelings had gotten hurt over the criticisms toward his jokes, adding that he was just having an off night during the 81st Golden Globes.

“I’d be lying if [I said that] it didn’t hurt. I hit a little moment there where I was just like, ‘Ahh!’ Hosting is a tough gig. Yes, I am a stand-up comic but that hosting position, it’s a different style,” Jo Koy continued.

He also explained that his controversial joke about Taylor Swift wasn’t meant to target the pop star, but rather, the National Football League (NFL). During the Golden Globes, Jo Koy had said that the difference between the NFL and the Golden Globes is that the latter shows fewer shots of Swift.

“I think the Taylor one was just a little flat and I just…it was a weird joke, I guess, but it was more on the NFL. I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes shouldn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. It just didn’t come out that way,” Jo Koy said.

Swift had been recorded looking displeased while taking a sip of her drink when Jo Koy made that joke.

The comedian also admitted that while he had hoped to “give a little bit more of [himself],” he ended up falling short.

Besides his joke about Taylor Swift, Jo Koy was also criticized for his joke about the film Barbie, which he said merely revolved around “a doll with plastic boobies.”

Despite the backlash, however, the comedian said that he is overall still proud of being able to host the 2024 Golden Globes.

“That’s one thing I wanna be proud about. It was a long journey, and the opportunity came. No one knew where the Golden Globes was gonna be, and then at the last second, CBS picked up the show and everyone was kinda turning down the offer because of the time, and I jumped on it,” Jo Koy said.

Jo Koy is a Filipino-American stand-up comedian known widely for his jokes about his Filipino mother. He was announced as a Golden Globes host on December 22, 2023. – Rappler.com