The 81st Golden Globes took place to recognize the achievements of film and television made in 2023, but the focus of this year’s award show was not on the nominees, winners or fashion. It was instead the host and his jokes made during the ceremony.
Jo Koy is a comedian and actor best known for his six comedy specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. Bringing in his own brand of comedy to the hosting position at the Golden Globes started discourse after he made jokes that left many feeling like he undermined the success of women in the film industry this past year.
Jokes about the “Barbie” movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, were the first to start discourse online. It was the highest grossing movie and biggest box office debut of 2023. The movie won the cinematic and box office achievement at the Golden Globes.
“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 when comparing the two films nominated for cinematic and box office achievement. Koy continued his comments about the “Barbie” movie by giving his own analysis.
“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,” Koy said.
After this comment he acknowledged the crowd’s negative reactions and shifted the responsibility to the Golden Globe writers.
“I got the gig ten days ago: do you want a perfect monologue?” Koy asked the audience. “Yo shut up. You’re kidding me, right? Slow down I wrote some of these and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”
The “Barbie” movie was not the only target of Koy’s jokes at the ceremony as one was about Taylor Swift, whose “Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour” movie was also nominated for cinematic and box office achievement.
Taylor Swift’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” movie also became the highest grossing concert or documentary film in the box office of all time.
“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” Koy said.
UTEP students shared their reactions to Koy’s jokes and discussed if he as the host should take the blame for the jokes falling flat, the writers themselves or the Golden Globes as a whole. Many agreed that all involved parties should be held responsible for the jokes.
“My initial thought was that the comment he made was the principal reason ‘Barbie’ was made, and it’s kind of ironic,” said UTEP student Sofia Azua. “I think the backlash was deserved and it should be aimed at the host, the Golden Globes, and the writers.”
UTEP student Accalia Gasca also expressed that everyone involved is to blame for the jokes. “I feel like everyone as a whole should be blamed because even though he claims he did not write the jokes he could have chosen to not say the jokes and said something more encouraging especially as it was a movie about empowering women and the struggles they go through,” Gasca said.
Students also shared their thoughts on how they think comments made at award shows aimed at certain groups, in this case women, could affect the filmmaking industry and those who want to go into it.
“I think this is just still proving the point that the film industry has a lot of toxicity and wrong ideas about women,” said UTEP student Paulina Muñoz.
Some students acknowledged that there could be a positive outcome from comments like Koy’s.
“I feel like it would affect a lot more of the female actors and directors, because it feels like every work, they make is just going to be shunned down to one big joke when it shouldn’t be like that,” Gasca said. “Or it could be (effective) in a good (way) where women say, ‘Okay well if this is a joke, we have to make these movies even more hard hitting.’”
Koy’s jokes have had a positive impact by making people recognize that this year was impactful for women in the film industry and letting individuals band together to defend these achievements.
While Koy jokes may have undermined the success of women in the film industry this past year but at the end, they still came out on top.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]
