Jo Koy Stands By Taylor Swift Joke Amid Fan Backlash: 'It Was Adorable'

Jo Koy, the host of the Golden Globes, has spoken up in defense of his joke about the award show having “fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift” than NFL games. His comment drew substantial fire from Swift's fanbase.

According to the 52-year-old comedian, his comments were made in jest and he did not mean any harm. He explained his side of the story to Entertainment Tonight following the awards ceremony on Sunday, January 7. “I was simply remarking on the difference in camera shots, nothing more,” Jo clarified.

Joke or not, fans did not react positively when Taylor Swift seemed unamused by the comment. The spotlight turned to her post-joke, capturing her nonplussed reaction as she took a sip of her drink. Jo quickly responded by apologizing from the stage, potentially due to Swift's distinctly unfriendly reaction.

One fan amusingly commented on X, previously known as Twitter, “I have no idea who Jo Koy is, but had Taylor Swift glared at me in response to a fail joke at her expense, I’d simply dissolve down to my basic molecules.”

Jo’s light-hearted jibe at the Grammy-winning singer wasn’t the sole controversial moment of his monologue. Anger was also sparked by a joke about Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie movie, which was competing in the same category as Swift's concert movie. The Barbie film was mockingly referred to as being based on a “plastic doll with big boobies”.

An X user commented, “Which part of the Barbie ‘joke’ did Jo Koy find amusing?! His joke is exactly why the movie was made – to combat such sexist remarks about women! … He needs to GROW UP and actually watch the movie!”

Reacting to Koy's Barbie comment, another X poster wrote, “My mind immediately recalled THIS speech by America Ferrera about the impossibility of being a woman!” They attached Ferrera's monologue from the hit movie.

Jo, who appeared to realize his jokes weren't landing, lambasted the star-studded audience from the stage, “Look, I was hired 10 days ago. You expect a flawlessly crafted monologue? You must be joking.”

He later suggested that the less successful jokes were not his creation, but the ones that got laughs were. “Those are the jokes I wrote,” Jo claimed.

Sharp-eyed fans noticed that Swift, known for her hit song “Karma”, departed the awards early after her concert movie lost to Barbie in the category for the Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Some speculated that her premature exit was due to her distaste for Koy’s jokes and not her losing to Barbie. It’s worth noting that she was the first to stand and applaud enthusiastically when the Barbie movie's makers went up to accept their award.

Another X poster wrote, “Taylor left that stuffy event SO REALISTICALLY. It felt just like me. The host really killed the mood. It's not a party without dancing or music. Bring on the Grammys.”

In a prior interview with TIME for her December 2023 cover story, Swift discussed the constant shots of her cheering for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, from the box at Chiefs games. “I’m clueless if I’m being shown excessively and annoying some dads, Brads, and Chads,” she famously stated.

Swift also discussed how oblivious one can be to the broadcasting camera, “It could be half a mile away, and you have no clue where or when the camera might feature you. So, I have no inkling whether I'm shown 17 times or once, all I’m there for is to support Travis.”