On January 7, 2024, the 81st Golden Globe Awards Ceremony took place, garnering many of the most brilliant and creative individuals-contributors to the past year’s motion pictures and television achievements in one room.
Comedian Jo Koy was there too.
With the release of numerous movies in 2023 that audiences long anticipated and rushed to theaters to see, such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, John Wick: Chapter 4, Oppenheimer, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Barbie and more, it was undoubtedly a year that had movie-watchers interested to see the results of the Golden Globe Awards.
So, when Host Jo Koy made a series of misogynistic jokes during his opening monologue, belittling and mocking the Golden Globe winner of the “Cinematic and Box Office Achievement,” Barbie, it’s no wonder his jokes landed flat, sparking not just disappointment, but outrage from viewers.
Although the Golden Globes Awards is, for many, the first time viewers have even heard the name “Jo Koy,” one would think the chosen host of the ceremony would be somewhat prepared, with years of comedian experience under their belt. It’s true, but watching the clips of his remarks, varying from his awkward and unnecessary comments involving Taylor Swift, you can’t help but realize, after the second hand embarrassment, that he did not seem to have an understanding of the bare minimum, knowing your audience.
Among other jokes, Koy said “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”
Likely, people can understand that who the NFL pans their cameras to during football games is completely up to them. If they choose to focus attention on who they believe viewers care about seeing, that is their choice.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Koy said of the comment, “‘I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. And so it was more of a jab towards the NFL but it just didn’t come out that way.’”
However, the wording of his ‘joke’ put Swift at the center of it, adding to what the slightest amount of research could inform him of, she already gets criticized for it.
Somehow, people still found a reason to critique Swift’s reaction, which was quite frankly, doing nothing but sipping her drink.
The situation, his words aside, allude to a prominent issue still present in 2024: A man makes a joke that a woman is uncomfortable with. Very few people care to consider, or speak out publicly about why this might be. Instead, the first response is to see women and men alike criticize her for being uncomfortable. How is that appropriate?
Building off the topic of inappropriate jokes, perhaps the most difficult to watch was his comments about the Barbie movie.
Barbie, which was released on July 21, 2023 undoubtedly meant a lot to people. Partly due to the movie’s authentic and raw expression of some of the different challenges women face, varying from self doubt, to self-identity, to feeling the pressure to not take up space. And partly due to its aspects that were playful, fun, and musical. Audiences rushed to the theaters, bringing along both their 5-year-old cousins, mothers, and more; Dressed in some variation of the color pink, seeing Barbie was more than just another trip to the movies, but a bonding experience, an event that you wanted to experience with others.
Even though many people didn’t know what to expect for Barbie, many people left the film feeling seen, like something they have felt all their lives had finally, somewhat, been put into words.
Scenes like when actress America Ferrera (who plays Gloria) delivers her monologue about society’s unrealistic, impossible expectations for women went viral on social media. TikTok users created videos to Rhea Perlman’s (who plays Ruth Handler) line, “Take my hands, now close your eyes, now feel,” inserting clips of their own. Some videos depicted happy moments of times spent with other women; others showed moments in which the user looks carefree, peaceful or excited.
Barbie, undoubtedly, meant a lot to people. It meant a lot to women. There seems to be an uncomfortable tension in a space when things mean a lot to women. Whether that space is a packed concert, theater, or social media; people seem to frown, to belittle, to mock their excitement.
Koy attempted to do just that with his comments about the movie, saying “Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies…the key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet. Or what casting directors call character actor!”
Social media users on X expressed their anger at Koy’s misogynistic monologue, his comment about Swift and the public’s annoyance with her reaction. Others claimed it was just a joke-a harmless, not worthy of getting upset over, joke.
One man’s opinion doesn’t take away from the magic of Barbie but his confidence to get up on a stage in front of hundreds of people, the cast and director included, and say something as disrespectful and poorly researched as that caused people to ask, “We’re really still doing this in 2024?”
There might always be people that find it funny to make women, or activities enjoyed by women, the punchline of every joke. Although disappointing, it is safe to say that it’s not surprising.
It can make leaning into your interests, passions and strengths (that have been dubbed by society as weaknesses) feel all the more empowering. Like, yes I am here and I enjoy these things or feel this way and I don’t need to feel bad about it.
Situations like these also ironically remind you that contrary to popular belief, there is a lot to be mad about. A lot that women don’t need to “calm down” about. There’s no reason women should have to take something unfair and find the good in it, but it’s something that some have learned to do, again and again.
Women are skilled at finding ways to feel empowered, with or without society’s comments or disapproval. That is one trait I don’t see disappearing any time soon.