In Jo Koy’s Defense: Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin + More Rally Behind Golden Globes Host

“He took on the toughest gig in show business.”

It’s been a hell of a week for Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy, who has been catapulted to global infamy thanks to his rather nervous hosting at the 81st Golden Globe Awards.

Comedic, cringey, or controversial? No matter how you found his 10-minute opening monologue, the Internet has been heavily criticizing Jo Koy for bombing his lines (most notable of which is him calling Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie a “plastic doll with big boobies”). Now, a few international celebrities—including comedians—are now speaking up in his defense.

EGOT actress Whoopi Goldberg along with her The View co-host Sara Haines acknowledged how “brutal” hosting can be, especially for a first-timer in a room full of Hollywood A-listers.

“For the first time, stand-up comedian Jo Koy took on the hosting duties, and it was a tough room for him. These hosting gigs are brutal. If you’ve not been in these rooms before and you’re thrust out there, it’s hit or miss,” Goldberg said. “I love Jo Koy, he makes me crazy because he’s funny. I don’t know whether it was the room, the jokes…but I do know that he is as good as it gets when it comes to stand-ups.”

Haines chimed in with a similar sentiment: “We need to protect these national treasures called our comedians, because life needs them. We need to stop binding them in and fencing them in. In that room, Jo Koy is punching up.”

More come to Jo Koy’s rescue, including comedians

Meanwhile, comedians Steve Martin and Kevin Hart have no doubts that Jo Koy will be back in his feet in no time. Martin wrote on Threads: “I tip my hat to anyone who steps out on stage to host a live awards show. It’s a very difficult job and not for the squeamish. I know because I’m still throwing up from the last time I did it in 2010. So, Congratulations to Jo Koy, who took on the toughest gig in show business, hit, missed, was light on his feet, and now has twenty minutes of new material for his stand up!”

“People want to highlight the bad but there is a world of good behind it. He is good and always has been. I love Jo. I’m fine with Jo. He’s made it this far—he’ll make it after,” Hart said in an ambush interview with the press.

At the red carpet event.
PHOTO BY FACEBOOK/JO KOY

Media personality Howard Stern said in his radio show that Jo Koy lacked time to prep for the Golden Globes, having only been announced as host a few weeks before the ceremony after several other comedians rejected the position.

“10 days? You’re doomed! Telling those jokes to a bunch of people who don’t wanna be laughed at is the biggest bummer in the world,” Stern said. “I feel bad for the dude because of the 10 days of preparation. I have talked to Jimmy [Kimmel] about this and he did such a great job with the Academy Awards, but he prepared for like six months.”

Local celebrities also rallied behind their fellow Filipino. John Arcilla wrote a lengthy paragraph saying he was never a fan of stand-up comedy but he was “still proud” of the comedian for landing a big hosting gig in “mainstream America.” Ogie Diaz pointed out that the Golden Globes might not been as noisy without Jo Koy. Kris Lawrence said “Filipinos need to be proud.”

Jo Koy working hard at the writer’s table.

As for Jo Koy? He admitted to feeling hurt by the criticism, looking a little deflated in his next-day interview with Good Morning America. It turns out that hosting had a different style than what he was used to as a stand-up comedian.

“I had fun. You know, it was a moment that I’ll always remember,” Jo Koy said. “It’s a tough room. It was a hard job. I’m not going to lie… I’d be lying [if I said] it doesn’t hurt.”