Following Backlash Over His Golden Globes 2024 Joke Jo Koy Shows His Support for Taylor Swift

Comedian Jo Koy finds himself in the spotlight following the 2024 Golden Globes following a joke that seemed to target pop sensation Taylor Swift. Koy assumed hosting duties just ten days before the ceremony and was met with criticism for remarks he made during his opening speech that the audience found offensive in addition to his joke about Swift.

Koy's joke, "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL?" became the center of the controversy. We have less pictures of Taylor Swift from the Golden Globes. The audience fell silent in response to Swift's remark, and her disinterested attitude was seen on video as she sipped her champagne.

Fans' opinions on Swift's regular attendance at NFL games in support of her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, have been divided. But Koy emphasized that his goal was to make a statement about the NFL's usage of cutaways during broadcasts, not to belittle Swift.

Koy elaborated in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, saying, "It’s like, the cool thing about the [Golden] Globes is we don’t need to do cutaways for ratings." He emphasized his support for Swift and her work, stating, "What hurts the most is me just supporting Taylor, I support her, I love her work. I got nieces that I bought tickets for. There’s no ill intent in that joke." "I’m not saying anything that no one’s saying, and it’s obvious what that joke was. It’s about the NFL. It’s like out of everything that has happened this is the one you choose to go after."

In a follow-up interview with Entertainment Tonight, Koy defended his statement, calling it "cute" and stating that it was intended to draw attention to the difference between the Golden Globes' unique strategy and the NFL's regular cutaways. He claimed that a misinterpretation of his humorous approach and persona was the cause of the unfavorable reaction.

More criticism was leveled at Koy for a joke he made during his monologue that was specifically geared at the movie Barbie. “‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ are competing for cinematic box office achievements. ‘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,” Koy said. This remark caused some people to take notice and strengthened the impression that Koy did a mediocre job hosting.

“I think it was when the Taylor one was just a little flat,” Koy said in an interview with Good Morning America 3, per US Weekly. “It was a weird joke, I guess.” Koy said, “It was more on the NFL. I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”