The Golden Globe Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1944 to honor film professionals and their efforts. The 2024 Golden Globes, which took place this year on Sunday, Jan. 7, proved to be problematic, as controversy surrounds remarks made by host Jo Koy during the ceremony. Koy is a career actor and stand-up comedian; however, his so-called “jokes” did not seem to stick the landing, failing to make both the crowd at the event and those watching at home laugh. At this huge event, success in the film industry achieved by women in the past year was distastefully undermined by the sexism and patriarchal jokes uttered by this man.
Barbie, written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, hit theaters during the summer of 2023 and was an immediate hit, quickly becoming one of the most popular movies amongst all age groups. The film explores gender stereotypes, beauty standards, and individuality. Barbie embraces the beauty of uniqueness and becoming one’s own hero and is not meant to denounce men, but rather appreciate the contributions of both men and women in society. Many moviegoers enjoyed dressing up in pink outfits to go watch it with their family and friends. Co-President of the GirlUp Club and senior Dea Pulatani recalled how she “went over the summer to watch the Barbie movie with [her] sisters, and [she] can easily say that the movie was uplifting and portrayed the concept of women empowerment and what it means to be a woman in a world where beauty standards exist.”
Contrary to the description and purpose of the movie, Koy announced “Barbie is about a plastic doll with big boobies.” The crowd’s shocked reaction left no room for guessing exactly how viewers felt about the remark. This single, sexist comment made by Koy was an attempt to entirely dismantle the meaning behind Barbie. Senior Elizabeth Ortiz, who watched the ceremony from home, explained her reaction: “I was shocked to hear the sexist remark made by Jo Koy and felt that it puts down the powerful connection that so many girls had with the Barbie movie. I feel that his description of the movie was extremely flawed.” However, Koy did not stop there with his remarks on the movie and went on to describe how “the key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet.” The actor and comedian clearly missed the entire point of the Barbie movie. His misinterpretation only bolsters one of the key ideas portrayed in the movie, which is how challenging it is to be a woman living in a society set up for a man’s benefit.
Additionally, Koy made comments to denounce Taylor Swift, further displaying his pattern to shift the focus away from female success in favor of a sexist punchline. Koy posed the question, “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL?” only to answer it with, “At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.” Swift was seen faking a smile and was clearly uncomfortable with the remark. Senior Samantha Mattia expressed, “As someone who loves listening to Taylor Swift’s music and values her as a person, I find it disrespectful and difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that Jo Koy would want to diminish her accomplishments as an artist just to try and be funny.” Pulatani added, “It is 2024– comments like the ones made by Jo Koy should definitely not be happening at one of the biggest events of the year, where people from all over the world are watching.”
This hosting disaster has evoked reactions from people all over the world on social media platforms like TikTok. Koy’s “jokes” were in poor taste and should have never been uttered at the Golden Globes or in general. With his digs at Barbie and Taylor Swift, one cannot help but question: when will sexism end?
