After viewers and audience members gave Jo Koy a chilly reception for what many said was a mediocre performance as host of Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, the comedian admitted it wasn’t his best night.
Koy, who took on the hosting duties 10 days before the ceremony, told Good Morning America 3 that he had an “off night,” but that the criticism he’s received has been difficult to hear.
“You know, I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt,” Koy said. “I hit a little moment there where I was just like, hosting is just, it’s a tough gig. And, yes, I am a stand-up comic. With the hosting position, it’s a different style.”
Koy added that he still appreciated the experience.
“We just had 10 days to try and write something for this monologue. It was a crash course. And, you know, I feel bad but I gotta still say that I loved what I did.”
Koy got off to a rocky start when his monologue failed to land with audience members. Some of his jokes, particularly one about feminist film “Barbie,” were heavily criticized.
“‘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.
Another, about Taylor Swift, fell flat.
“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL?” Koy said. “At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”
Koy told Entertainment Tonight that the Swift joke was more so about the more frequent use of cutaway shots in NFL broadcasts than the Globes.
“Aww, man, it was cute. I was just saying it was cute,” Koy told ET of the joke. “I was just saying it’s less cutaways, that’s all.”
Koy, who previously said in a statement that he hoped to make his “Filipino family” proud and spoke about the power of representation prior to the ceremony, did have some positive things to say about the night, including the several wins for the Asian American community. Three awards of the night went to “Beef,” starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.
“It’s not just one, it’s for all of us,” Koy said.