After offering a host of gags that appeared to fail with an elite crowd, Jo Koy opened up about one specific comment. 

The Golden Globes have always served as a venue where Hollywood’s finest celebrities come to honor their accomplishments. However, this year’s occasion was notable for a different reason altogether. Stand-up comedian Jo Koy, 52, made waves on Sunday by mocking some of Hollywood’s biggest names. He found himself at the center of a social media storm after putting a tasteless spin on pop sensation Taylor Swift.

Speaking openly about one specific comment after the show, Koy gave his apology for the long list of jokes that did not seem to land with the A-list crowd. Defending it by calling it just a “little flat” and “weird joke”, he acknowledged that the atmosphere in the room changed when he made fun of the Blank Space hitmaker.

Taylor Swift in her music video Love Story

Jo Koy Defends His Taylor Swift Quip at the 2024 Golden Globes

Hosting a prestigious event such as the Golden Globes entails a great deal of responsibility. What might be hilarious to one person may be deeply offensive to another. Thus, Jo Koy apologized for his joke about Taylor Swift that he made on Sunday night at the Golden Globes. He addressed the overwhelmingly negative reviews he received as the 2024 Golden Globes host when he appeared on GMA3: What You Need to Know:

“I had fun. You know, it was a moment that I’ll always remember. It’s a tough room. It was a hard job, I’m not going to lie…I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt. I hit a moment there where I was like, ‘Ah.’ Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer’s thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did.”

Jo Koy’s jokes didn’t sit well with the Golden Globes attendees (YouTube)

Admittedly, Koy’s Swift joke fell “a little flat”. Swift’s relationship with tight end Travis Kelce has made her synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team with which the comedian targeted during the telecast and received backlash. Koy said the following during the Golden Globes show (via Variety).
“As you know, we came on after a football doubleheader. The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift, I swear.”

Then the camera panned to Swift in the crowd, who looked bored and took a swig from her drink. Koy said to GMA 3 when asked if he had any regrets regarding any particular Globes moment:

“I think it was when the Taylor [Swift] one was just a little flat. It was a weird joke, I guess. But 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.”

He continued by saying that it had been an “off night” and that he was a little disappointed by the response. Well, not everyone thought highly of Koy’s opening monologue.

Taylor Swift in Anti-Hero music video

The Court of Public Opinion: How Fans Reacted to Jo Koy’s ‘Misogynistic’ Joke

Public figures face instant scrutiny and quick criticism in this social media-driven age. Fans expressed their disappointment and called for more intelligent humor on Twitter, where they tore apart Jo Koy’s Golden Globes joke.

Here are some tweets from the fans:

a little flat? it was tone deaf and offensive. read the room.

— The Tesla Hoe (@TheTeslaHoe) January 8, 2024

the taylor joke wasn’t the only joke that was weird lmao the barbie one was much worse

— TR (@swiftcena) January 8, 2024

The Taylor joke was pretty bad but the Barbie joke was the one I was most weirded out on…

— ren. (@allswifted) January 8, 2024

It was unfunny and awkward. He should’ve kept that one in the drafts, fr.

— Paul⁴ is #SingleSoon | BLM (@selenastan18) January 8, 2024

That’s disgusting and misogynistic joke

— Jerry (@myself_roon) January 8, 2024

I’m strongly against cancel culture, but if the culture wants to cancel Jo Koy after that awful performance, I won’t mind.

— Citadel Nova (@citadelnova) January 8, 2024
The Bad Blood singer, who was present as a nominee, picked up her drink right away and took a sip to process the joke. Although there were some muffled giggles nearby, Taylor Swift appeared unhappy as she sat next to Keleigh Teller (via Fox News).

This incident offers a chance to discuss empathy, the power of words, and the significance of being aware of the effects of one’s humor.