The most recent Golden Globes 2024 award ceremony has been a hot topic on the internet for a quick minute; not just for the celebrities attending and whoever is winning but for the emcee. Jo Koy has become a topic of discussion after his inappropriate and insensitive jokes towards the attending guests. Having made remarks on many notable figures, his reputation has taken a hit after that evening. But the question arises: Who is Jo Koy?
Joseph Glenn Hubert, professionally known as Jo Koy is a Filipino-American comedian, actor and podcast host. Drawing inspiration from his cultural heritage, his stand-up comedies are for the audience that enjoys a fine blend of personal anecdotes, cultural references and observational humour. His comedy specials include titles like “Don’t Make Him Angry”, “Lights out” and “Comin’ in Hot”.
Aside from stand-up comedies, he has appeared in TV shows and films including “Chelsea Lately”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, and the netflix movie “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.” He also has a podcast called, “Koy in the Pond” where he interviews popular celebrities.
Jo Koy was married to Angie King, better known by her stage name Nura Luca. She is a popular musical artist, her passion being fuelled by her father, an opera singer. The genre of her music mostly follows dance/electronic. She had been Jo Koy’s wife from 2003-2013. During their marriage, they had one son, Joseph Hubert Jr. Even after their divorce, they kept on friendly terms for the sake of their son.
After his divorce with Angie King, Jo Koy has had no relationships until Chelsea Handler. Both started dating in 2021 after being reconnected in 2019. But their romance was short-lived as the couple broke up in 2021 after a year of dating. After their breakup, neither Chelsea Handler nor Jo Koy has made any clear indication as to how and why they had split up, initially.
As of 2024, Jo Koy’s net worth is something around $15 million.
Jo Koy at the Golden Globes
Jo Koy was the host of the Golden Globes 2024. He is a well-known comedian, that would obviously entail that his opening monologue would follow something in his forte but what many did not see coming was the backlash he faced for the same. Ever since the beginning of his monologue, the audience had been cold towards his jokes and punchlines; and that mood escalated to further disapproval from the audience after his controversial takeaways and comments on popular figures.
As he begins his monologue, he is not much appreciated by the audience or even the guests attending the event. His monologue was supposed to be written in such a manner that the nominees of that evening and their works would be a part of a particular comedic dialogue not a mockery but he failed to do so. The lack in his manner of presentation and the particular lack in his punchlines that were expected and repeated did nothing for him that evening.
Jo Koy and Barbie
Mentioning Joy Koy Barbie in the same sentence might stoke a controversy; that sentence should describe the amount of distaste extended by the audience. Barbie being one of the most popular and highly grossing films of 2023, such a back-handed comment on it wasn’t well received.
Koy was attempting to rekindle and comment on the year-old comparison between Oppenhiemer and Barbie where he described the former as a film too long to watch while the latter as “a movie about plastic dolls with boobies.” This comment not only comes off as a particularly sexist comment but it also says a lot about the amount of credibility Koy had extended to Barbie. Yes, it was supposed to be a comedic dialogue but his employment of language to make a comment as such objectifies the idea of Barbie in itself and in a way women as well.
There are layers to the remark that begin with sexism and further into objectification and even further down, there is utter disregard about the depth and truth behind the film. He also talks about the transition of Barbie from the “traditional” Barbie with arched feet and other specifications to a more human Barbie we see in the movie. He superficially makes shallow comments in the name of humour and when the audience does not laugh at his “joke”, he blames it on the writers saving his own name.
But he was drawing a comparison between the two and his comment on Oppenheimer wasn’t any better. He simplifies the plot and certain instances from the movie to make it comedic which is employed by many comedians but his lack of skill in capturing the idea and presenting it quite poorly sunk his boat.
Coming back to his comment about Barbie, Koy is seen to have employed a lot of crude language in the name of humour throughout his monologue which, again, did not earn many cheers from the audience.
Koy was trying to playfully tread around the comparison that had been brought up when the movies had been released but he chose to risk it with his remark. It was nothing different from what had been happening on the internet but one must choose their moments for such things carefully.
Jo Koy and Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has become a global sensation following her year-long Eras Tour which has a lot to accomplish in the new year. The tour had seen her break up with her longest relationship Joe Alwyn while also seeing her get together with the rugby player Travis Kelce. As hard as it was for her Swifties to accept this, they had adapted to it after seeing Swift at Kelce’s matches and cheering him on while he did the same for her during tours. Ever since they’d begun dating Swift is seen frequenting almost all of Kelce’s matches and cheering him on.
Swift’s frequent visits became a topic of discussion and made their way into Jo Koy’s monologue at the Golden Globes. Alluding to the media attention the artist had gained at NFL post her relationship with Kelce, Koy made a comment about that. Swift wasn’t particularly impressed by the remark as she’s seen sipping her drink when the camera focuses on her.
But the comment Jo Koy made on Taylor Swift was truthful if only a bit crude. Swift had attended all of Kelce’s games in the past, gaining immense media attraction. Koy’s comment wouldn’t have received such backlash if his manner of execution hadn’t been such.
Closing Thoughts
Jo Koy would have been a good host if not for the poor execution of his jokes. There need be no analysis of his script to know that it was half-baked. His remarks such as, “some, I wrote and some, other people wrote” and “I wrote some of them; they’re the ones you’re laughing at”, is a direct blame on the writers who had supposedly worked with him on the script. The entirety of his monologue was quite problematic given the contents of his script and his manner of execution. He could have done way better.
