Jo Koy and the Golden Globes Drama

By: Anya Vaiman '26

Image of Joy Koy at the Golden Globes, Taken from Entertainment Weekly.

The esteemed Golden Globes award show on January 7th quickly turned from a celebration of performing arts into a night of misogynistic jokes and heated drama between celebrities. Jo Koy, a comedian who hosted the televised event, was scrutinized for his poorly written jokes aimed at women such as Taylor Swift and the feminist film Barbie. Celebrities attending the Golden Globes were seen unimpressed and disappointed with Jo Koy’s monologue, as were many people on social media platforms.

Jo Koy jabbed at Taylor Swift by discussing how she receives more camera attention at her boyfriend, Travis Kelce’s, NFL games than at the Golden Globes. A camera quickly found Swift’s straight face, showing her taking a sip from her drink as a response. Jo Koy later stated, “It was a weird joke, I guess,” and admitted that the tease had been directed at the NFL but fell flat. 

Another unpleasant joke that Jo Koy made was about the Barbie movie, which had won a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Starring Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig. This empowering film was made by women and for women. Its unique take on feminism has been applauded and loved by people around the world. At the Golden Globes, however, Jo Koy said that the movie was based on “...a plastic doll with big boobies.” The immature joke was poorly received by the audience watching the awards show.