Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Dragged for His 'Painful' Opening Monologue

Jo Koy

Last-minute 2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy took on the challenge with a biting opening monologue—but not everyone was laughing out loud.

Koy—who was announced as the host on Dec. 21, leaving him little time to prepare— offered up a celebrity-centric speech to start the show, as it was one of Hollywood's biggest nights.

During his opening speech, Koy began by issuing a caution notice, “I got this gig 10 days ago," hinting that if there were any high expectations in the room, they should likely be lowered a bit.

Still, he didn't hold back. For instance, he joked that Robert De Niro's "last performance is going to be [his] greatest performance ever," but was actually referencing the veteran actor becoming a dad again at 79.

Koy not-so-subtly added, "How did you get her pregnant at 80?”

He also brought up Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, joking that "you don't know whose side to be on" in the show.

"Speaking of blondes—Meryl Streep," he then mentioned, to which he added, "Duh." Koy continued praising the legendary actress for her accolades, saying "there's nothing she can't do" and calling her "the greatest of all time," before even sending a joke her way, adding that his favorite line from her is from a movie she wasn't even in: Black Panther.

"The way you said Wakanda Forever," he quipped. Streep was a good sport, though, doing the famed gesture of two arms crossed across the chest after the joke.

But while Koy didn't hold back on celebrities at the show, the internet, in turn, didn't hold back on him, taking to social media with their critiques of his "painful" and not-so-funny, in the eyes of some, opener.

"You really should’ve used quotes on 'hilarious'. It was actually painful to watch the opening monologue," one viewer wrote on X, responding to the official account of the Golden Globes' caption on a video of Koy.

In another's opinion, he "bombed his hosting gig," while a third, on the other hand, seemed to show some grace: "Okay I'm kind of bummed about Jo Koy's performance on the #GoldenGlobes2024. I've seen him be hilarious in the past. I don't know if it's nerves or what but.....wow."

Ahead of the Jan. 7 awards, showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner said of Koy's talent, “Jo’s genuine brand of comedy is sure to entertain our honorees in the room at the Beverly Hilton and viewers at home. We are excited to work with him to make this year’s show laugh-out-loud from beginning to end."

Koy, who has a Filipino mother and a white father, also made history this year as the Golden Globes' first solo Asian host, and he didn't take the job lightly.

Reflecting on the responsibility he felt taking on the role as this year's host, Koy told Vanity Fair, "I know what this means to a lot of people, especially the younger kids that are indirectly being inspired by this. So I’ve got to come through for them."

He also addressed the Golden Globes' past issues with lack of diversity, declaring this year's show a step forward, saying, "The Golden Globes, it’s moving forward too. It’s made its shared mistakes and now, we’re moving forward, and in the right direction.”

Along with Koy as host, the 2024 Golden Globes also features many big-name presenters, including Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Will Ferrell and Simu Liu , while stars like Bradley Cooper, Margot Robbie, Ayo Edebiri and more are nominated for the prestigious awards.

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