American comedian Jo Koy, in his opening act for the Golden Globes on Jan. 7, 2024, shocked both audience members and viewers at home with an insulting monologue. 

Koy’s monologue included a sexist comparison of the movies Oppenheimer and Barbie.

“Oppenheimer is based on the 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” said Koy. 

Koy’s crude joke completely disregards the focal point of the Barbie movie. Although based on dolls, the Barbie movie is centered around reducing social gender inequalities by redefining feminism. Koy’s joke directly misses the fundamental idea the Barbie movie is advocating for. The monologue completely diminishes the $1.3 billion revenue and nine Golden Globe nominations the Barbie movie received. 

Belittling the Barbie movie as a whole was not enough for Koy. He piled on throughout the night as he continued degrading women. 

“The key moment in ‘Barbie’ is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet. Or what casting directors call ‘character actor,’” said Koy. 

The comedian’s subjective joke focuses on objectifying actresses. A character actor is a supporting role to the protagonist usually seen as not being conventional enough for the main character role. Koy’s “joke” devalues and body shames actresses. 

The women in the Barbie movie were not the only ones being bashed in  Koy’s monologue, as global music sensation Taylor Swift was also called out.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” said Koy. 

Koy’s joke referenced the numerous appearances Taylor Swift has made at football games in support of her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player, Travis Kelce. The comment angered many Taylor Swift fans as in the past the singer has had many unpleasant experiences with the media shaming her public relationship. 

It is safe to assume that Jo Koy will not be asked to host future Hollywood events. Koy’s monologue lacked sophistication and social awareness. Koy should take this as a sign to rewatch the Barbie movie and pay attention to its message beyond the surface level.