Jo Koy is defending his Taylor Swift quip at the 2024 Golden Globes.
Koy hosted the award show on Sunday, where Swift was nominated for cinematic and box office achievement thanks to “The Eras Tour” concert movie. However, during the standup comedian’s opening monologue, he focused instead on Swift’s recent NFL appearances.
“As you know, we came on after a football doubleheader. The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” Koy said.
The joke was met with a tepid reaction from the star-studded audience, including Swift, who pursed her lips and sipped her drink. The comment was also widely criticized and memed on social media.
After the ceremony had ended, Koy attended the Billboard after-party, where he answered a few questions from “Extra.”
Asked about the cutaway to Swift, Koy replied, “It was a compliment.”
“It’s like, she can be more intimate tonight. That’s all,” he said.
During a “Good Morning America” interview on Monday, Koy struck a more conciliatory tone, admitting the joke fell “a little flat.”
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“It was a weird joke, I guess,” he said. “But it was more on the NFL, you know what I mean? I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. It was more of a jab towards the NFL, but it just didn’t come out that way.”
“That’s a tough gig, I’m not gonna lie,” he continued, adding, “Hosting is just a beast.”
Koy also blamed the tight turnaround for his patchy performance; he said he got the call to host 10 days before the show and sacrificed sleep to prepare enough material.
“I wanted to give a little bit more of me, and I just felt a little short,” he said.