Jo Koy booed for Golden Globes opening monologue, blames his writers

Jo Koy speaks onstage at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Picture: AFP

Jo Koy speaks onstage at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Picture: AFP

Published Jan 8, 2024

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Jo Koy blamed his writers when his Golden Globes opening monologue was booed.

The 52-year-old comic - who was announced as anchor on December 21 - received a mixed response when he opened the ceremony on Sunday, and blamed the lack of time he'd had to prepare for the hosting job on some of his jokes falling flat.

He told the audience at the Beverly Hilton hotel: “The minute I signed the contract… I locked myself in a room and started binge-watching everything.

“While my family was clinking champagne glasses and ringing in the New Year, my family was watching 'Oppenheimer'.

“I loved 'Oppenheimer'. I just got one complaint: [It] needed another hour, because I felt like it needed some more backstory. My New Year’s resolution for 2024 is to finish 'Oppenheimer' in 2025. I love 'Oppenheimer '— especially the first season.”

The camera then cut to director Christopher Nolan looking unimpressed and Koy added: “That’s so stupid…”

The presenter was then jeered and booed when he turned his attention to 'Barbie'.

He said: “'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie' are competing for cinematic box office achievement.

“'Oppenheimer' is based on a 724-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and 'Barbie' is based on a plastic doll with big boobies...

“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.’”

Acknowledging the lacklustre response, Koy blamed the writing team.

He said: “Some I wrote, some other people wrote. Yo, I got the gig ten days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Shut up! You’re kidding me, right? I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”

Among his more successful jokes was one aimed at Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, which even drew a laugh from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

Joking about the working habits of the royal family, Koy quipped: "Harry and Meghan Markle got paid millions for doing absolutely nothing – and that’s just by Netflix.”