Since 1944, the Golden Globe award ceremony has recognized the talented and hardworking people of the film industry. The well-known awards from this show are: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by a Female Actor/Male Actor, Best Motion Picture – Animated, and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
In 2023, the world saw a resurgence of films in theaters. People are finally feeling comfortable going out in public in the wake of the pandemic, and a surge of amazing movies such as Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” have motivated people into theaters and American Multi-Cinema (AMC) dream loungers.
Alongside the new wave of movies in theaters, millions of people can share their thoughts. For example, millions of women used social media to connect about the “Barbie” movie. Tik Toks and Instagram posts showcased how similar girlhood is, and how women are connected through their constant battle against the patriarchy and misogynist ideals.
I am not here to discuss the abundance of high-caliber movies, but to talk about my opinion on the 2024 Golden Globes host, Jo Koy.
Koy is facing backlash for his sexist, uninspiring monologue. His first joke was him trying to be funny with his summary of the hit movie “Barbie,” a film that empowers women. Koy’s one liner calling “Barbie” a film based on a “plastic doll with big boobies” failed, largely because the movie united women in a powerful way previously unseen.
While it wasn’t its intention, this joke landed deeply ironic. Koy is famous, but he is still just a man. He could never understand the difficulty women face, and the audience and television viewers weren’t fooled either with Koy’s joke. He was not trying to be ironic but undermining.
Perhaps it’s too much to accuse Koy of being threatened by the newfound common ground “Barbie” has given women, but I am sure he has seen the power women have by working together. If I was a man, I would be scared and insecure too.
Koy’s attempt at diminishing “Barbie” into a plastic doll is heartbreaking to fans everywhere, since the movie proved the exact opposite. Both “Barbie” the movie and Barbie dolls have united women, not to chip away at men, but to come together and celebrate womanhood. The comedian took it upon himself to assert his manliness to other men in the crowd by minimizing the movie’s impact.
Koy’s next unappreciated joke was about the NFL’s excessive coverage of Taylor Swift during games, and how the Golden Globes will not have as many cutaway shots to her. When the camera showed Swift’s reaction, it was clear she did not think Koy was funny. She didn’t have much of a reaction at all, the only thing she did was not laugh and take a sip of her drink.
I am a dedicated Swiftie. At first, I didn’t think much of the joke, thinking it was simply not funny. However, after his joke about “Barbie,” I see the Taylor Swift joke as one that falls under a pattern of sexism.
The theme of the show’s backlash was that the joke was simply not funny. Many people have posted on social media giving Koy suggestions on jokes that he could have made. My personal favorite comes from comedian Lee Cohen’s Tik Tok post about this subject. Her joke goes: “I know Margot Robbie played Barbie, but when you think about it, Taylor Swift really is the actual, real-life Barbie. She’s a successful, blonde, feminist, icon who just wants people to stop talking about her f—ing boyfriend.”
Women taking to social media and upstaging Koy’s sexist jokes is the best way for justice. In 2023, Taylor Swift achieved so much more than dating Travis Kelce and seeing football games. She broke records with her “Era’s Tour” and continues to reach levels of success that are unfathomable to most.
Koy made it clear during the Golden Globes his need to undermine women to be funny. A similar scenario happened recently with comedian Matt Rife. Both men thought it necessary to tear down female audiences, so they could get the validation from other sexist comedians. The patriarchy has come full circle, it is no longer only women fighting for male validation – it’s also the men who created the system.