Hosting a big awards show is a challenging feat. It takes nerves of steel, the skin of a rhino, and the understanding that if your jokes fall flat or take aim at someone who isn’t in the room, you will likely face some authoritarian online reactions. This was the case for 2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy, who ruffled feathers with his opening monologue when he joked about 34-year-old Taylor Swift and her NFL romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
During the broadcast, the comedian highlighted that cameras often linger on the “Karma” singer during her frequent appearances at her boyfriend’s football games. But when the camera cut to a shot of Swift sitting in the crowd with her hands in her pockets and a stone-faced expression, it appeared like she was less than impressed.
The internet quickly reacted to the quip, with fans calling out Koy for “dissing” the Mean Girls star. Despite the backlash, Koy stood by his decision to make the joke, claiming that he didn’t see a problem with it as he thought the whole point of the joke was to poke fun at the NFL.
Koy echoed this sentiment on Monday when he appeared on The View, addressing the criticism that followed his ill-advised quip. He said he was not trying to make Taylor the butt of the joke and insisted that his “whole intention with that joke was to make fun of the NFL” and the organization’s habit of cutting away from football games to show Taylor cheering on her boyfriend in the crowd.
The 52-year-old comedian also acknowledged that he didn’t have much time to prepare for his gig, which may have contributed to some of the jokes that fell flat on Sunday night. But he denied that he wrote the joke about Taylor and Kelce, saying that it was written by one of his writers.
Despite his claims of not writing the joke, Koy did apologize for offending fans of the Grammy and Emmy award-winning singer. He also said he didn’t expect the joke to go viral.
While the comedian’s apologies were sincere, the apology did little to appease some viewers. The internet is still a harsh place, and it didn’t take long for people to call out other stars who had their feathers ruffled by Koy’s jokes.
Among them was Whoopi Goldberg, who called out Koy for his “tacky jab” at Swift. She also pointed out that he slammed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for their deal with Netflix, even though they were not in the room to hear his remarks. “It’s hard enough for us to feel like we can stand up and do our jobs as women when you’re making jokes about people who aren’t there,” she said on the show. “We need to decide that it’s not OK collectively.”