Comedian Jo Koy fails to resurrect the Golden Globes in widely-criticized hosting performance

The Golden Globes have long struggled to measure up to the acclaim of competing award ceremonies such as the Academy Awards and the Emmys. Often referred to as “the Drunk Oscars,” the award ceremony has a reputation of chaos that it continually fails to outlive.

In 2021, controversy surrounding the group which formerly awarded Golden Globes — The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — threatened to nix the award ceremony completely, per the Los Angeles Times. No longer entangled with the HFPA, which disbanded, the Golden Globes had an opportunity to resurrect itself.

But with Jo Koy as a last-minute emcee of the ceremony, the Golden Globes may have renewed its reputation as a chaotic, lowbrow awards ceremony.

As Koy made his way through his widely-criticized monologue, the audience frequently gave uncomfortable silence. Some of his jokes bombed. Others seemingly offended celebrity-goers.

Koy responded to the audience’s lack of enthusiasm from on stage.

“Some (jokes) I wrote, some other people wrote,” the standup comedian joked as his lines fell flat, per Variety. “Yes, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me, right? Slow down, I wrote some of these and they are the ones you are laughing at.”

Koy wasn’t given a sought-after job. Hosting award shows has become an increasingly unpopular position — some comedians have even sworn off taking hosting roles ever again.

“You’ll be pleased to know this is the last time I’m hosting the Golden Globe Awards,” Ricky Gervais said while hosting the Golden Globes in 2021, per The New York Times. “I don’t care anymore. I never did.”

Comedic duo Tina Fey and Amy Poeler — who have co-hosted the Golden Globed four times — have also chosen to retire from hosting the award ceremony.

“They would never do it (again),” a source close to Poehler and Fey told CNN in 2023. “They’re done.”

Related

• The list of 2024 Golden Globe nominees — and the list of everyone who declined to host the ceremony

• The biggest winners of the Golden Globes — and the weirdest moment

After a slew of comedians including Chris Rock and the “Smartless” podcast co-hosts (Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman ) declined to host the ceremony, Koy was selected last-minute. With less than two weeks to prepare he resorting to “cramming,” reports The Washington Post.

“I’ve had (hosting) gigs before, but nothing to this level,” Koy told The Washington Post ahead of the ceremony.

From cheap shots at Taylor Swift to a distasteful joke about the “Barbie” movie, Koy garnered criticism from his live audience, fans watching at home and the media.

Variety accused the comedian of being “a woefully unqualified MC” and The Atlantic described his punch lines as “dated or obvious.”

“Never invite Jo Koy to one of these things again please. So, so awful,” one viewer panned on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter.

The backlash urged Koy to issue a response, as well as an apology to Taylor Swift.

“It’s a tough room. It was a hard job. I’m not gonna 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,” Koy told “GMA3” on Monday morning.

“Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer’s thing. 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.”

Koy admitted to suffering from an “off night,” adding that he “wanted to give a little bit more” but standup is his expertise and “hosting is just a beast.”

The comedian also issued an apology to Taylor Swift, who gave a minimal, yet icy response after Koy directed a joke at her.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift, I swear,” Koy said on stage.

During his interview with “GMA3” on Monday, Koy confessed his Swift quip “was a weird joke, I guess.”

“I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that,” he continued. “So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”