The Golden Globes this weekend seemed to have everyone talking. From the list of Golden Globe winners, to unexpected celebrity interactions, the buzzy award show should’ve gone off without much of a hitch. But one of the things that kept everyone talking was how uncomfortable host Jo Koy’s monologue was. The first time host had a hard time finding his footing and delivered a number of jokes that didn’t go over well with the audience. It was almost tough to watch, but the cringing audience reactions almost made it worth it. One joke about Barbie in particular didn’t play well and I can’t get over the side by side photos of the cast reacting to it.
Hosting an awards show isn’t easy, but Jo Koy’s monologue may go down in history as one of the most poorly received ever. Someone probably should’ve told the comedian that mentioning the size of Barbie’s breasts in tandem with one of the most feminist films of the year probably wouldn’t land with the cast and crew of the film. For context, early on in the night he said in his monologue:
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.
Yikes. Not only was the joke seemingly offensive to the number of creatives sitting in the room, but it also felt very outdated and tired, especially considering female filmmakers have worked hard to be taken seriously next to their male counterparts. It went about as well as one could expect, and played to absolute silence. It’s almost like the cameraperson at the ceremony knew that the joke would bomb, because they captured the reactions to the joke from some of the attendees, and they were picture perfect. You can see a side by side from a tweet by Decider below:
“And BARBIE was based on a plastic doll with big boobs!” The #Barbie crew weren’t too thrilled by Jo Koy’s jokes about their film. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/Rp3ZvSIhhdJanuary 8, 2024
Their pained expressions capture the tension in the room perfectly. Margot Robbie is trying to smile, which looks like it’s physically hurting her, and same goes for filmmaker Greta Gerwig, who could not look more uncomfortable. Just the way America Ferrera and Issa Rae are sitting communicates how awkward the situation was. However, my favorite has to be the narrowed-eyed Ryan Gosling, who I’m surprised wasn’t able to stop the monologue in its tracks just from that look alone.
There is an art to live event directing, and reaction shots are some of the most endearing moments from an event like this. Some all time favorites include the now infamous shot of Oscars audience in 2017 when La La Land was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture winner, or when Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield were hilariously spotted sharing a smooch at the 2017 Globes. Viewers may not have felt the urge to laugh at Koy’s monologue, but we can definitely laugh at the reaction shots and the memes it will inevitably spur.
The “Barbie boob” joke wasn’t the only joke that had some cringe reactions, as Taylor Swift didn’t seem to love the joke directed at her, either. You can visit these awkward moments, as well as the more joyous ones from the awards show by streaming The Golden Globe Awards, which is currently available for Paramount+ subscribers who may have missed the live broadcast. Also awards show junkies can check out our list of winners from the 2024 Golden Globes, which includes Barbie and other favorites from the year.