Jo Koy's Controversial Golden Globes Gig Unveils Comedy's High-Stakes Arena

In a surprising twist of events, Filipino-American stand-up comedian Jo Koy faced a wave of criticism and jeering during his hosting of the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Monday, January 8.

What’s next for Jo Koy? Comedians and entertainers weigh in on the stand-up sensation’s recent Golden Globes performance. | Illustration: TFD

The social media sphere was ablaze with opinions on Koy's opening monologue and subsequent jokes as he took center stage in front of some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities and power players.

Comedy Manila's GB Labrador took to social media, shedding light on the challenges comedians face in such high-profile events.

He stated, "What everyone saw at the Golden Globes is what comedians go through at every corporate gig."

However, not everyone sympathized with Koy's plight. Fellow comedian Rex Navarrete criticized his performance, suggesting that blaming underpaid writers for a bad gig was unacceptable.

Navarrete even questioned Koy's character, hinting at a potential issue with joke theft, a sensitive topic within the comedy community.

(Joke theft, the act of claiming someone else's material without consent or credit, recently gained attention with comedian Katt Williams accusing fellow comic Cedric the Entertainer of appropriating his 'best joke' from the '90s. Williams claimed that Cedric not only watched his set at The Comedy Store but later performed the same joke verbatim on "The (Original) Kings of Comedy," a 2000 American stand-up comedy film directed by the renowned Spike Lee.)

“Minus the part where you blame your underpaid writers for the bad gig. That’s always on you, good or bad gig. Be thankful you can afford writers at all and don’t throw them to the wolves. It’s a true sign of who Jo is as a person, and the whole world got to see the real him. Take a guess who’d be first off the sinking Titanic. Oh yeah, and don’t steal jokes from better comics. Ahem,” Navarrete posted on the same thread.

During his monologue, Koy seemed to criticize his writers, muttering disapproval after a joke about the length of Oppenheimer. As the night progressed, multiple actors in the audience appeared visibly unimpressed, some even resorting to sighs and covering their faces.

Attempting to defend his performance, Koy pointed out that he had only been given 10 days to prepare for the hosting duties after several comedians, including Chris Rock and Ali Wong, declined the offer.

However, even after the first commercial break, Koy struggled to regain the audience's favor, with a canned joke about Taylor Swift falling flat.

"The whole intention of that joke was to make fun of the NFL," Koy told the LA Times, adding, "It’s like, the cool thing about the Globes is we don’t need to do cutaways for ratings. 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."

Despite the challenges he faced during the gig, support came from an unexpected quarter of A-list celebrities. Kevin Hart, Howard Stern, Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen A. Smith, and Michael Che all stepped up to emphasize the daunting nature of Koy's job.

Legendary actor Steve Martin, for example, posted on social media, "I tip my hat to anyone who steps out on stage to host a live awards show. It's a very difficult job and not for the squeamish."

Despite the tough reviews for the 81st Golden Globe Awards, Koy's headlining seemed to have been a major draw for viewers. According to CBS, the telecast garnered an impressive average of 9.4 million viewers, marking a substantial 50% increase from the previous year.

As the saying goes, "Let’s see who has the last laugh." Only time will tell if Jo Koy's comedic resilience and the Golden Globe’s unexpected surge in viewership will turn the tables on the critics and provide a silver lining to the controversial hosting stint.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem