I can’t say I was surprised when I saw the clip of Jo Koy’s monologue at the Golden Globes. Well, maybe a little, but my confusion came primarily from my not knowing who he was. Content-wise, though, I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Any product, piece of media, or accomplishment in any way viewed as feminine, or “for women” has always been belittled and mocked by men, that can’t be denied. I’m not alone in feeling like the jokes about “Barbie” hit a little harder, especially given its message.
“Barbie” is an award-winning masterpiece. It’s a fascinating commentary on the patriarchy, society, and the reality of women’s lives. The movie was literally about the empowerment of women, fighting gender stereotypes, and the impossibility of womanhood in contemporary society. So really, it’s ironic. Reducing the globally revered “Barbie” to a movie about “a plastic doll with big boobies,”as Jo Koy said, is a perfect example of men having the audacity to reduce these amazing movies to simplistic, dull ideas of what they want women to be.
Many of Koy’s jokes were met with silence, so the laugh track was his saving grace. Cameras panning to the audience to catch reactions struggled to find a smiling face. The crowd was full of straight faces, save for Ryan Gosling’s pity smile. To say his remarks weren’t well-received is an understatement, the disgust felt among the audience was palpable.
Upon seeing this reaction, Koy became quite defensive, claiming to have been notified he would give a monologue very last-minute. He claimed to just be reading what was written for him and that the jokes he had written were the ones the audience was actually laughing at. And though this may be true, he still has ultimate control over what he says, and thus, responsibility.
Director and producer Greta Gerwig shared her response to the poor excuse of a joke stating, “He’s not wrong.” Gerwig acknowledged that yes, the Barbie doll was the first mass-produced doll with boobs. She continued with, “I think that so much of the project of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic doll.” The level of professionalism in her response is impressive, but she didn’t have much of a choice. If Gerwig had reacted passionately, or with any feeling at all really, she would have been labeled hysterical and just another emotional woman. Which is wrong on a number of fronts.
This treatment would be based on ridiculous stereotypes, yes, but also just plain unreasonable. I, like many, would have an emotional reaction if my long-time passion project, a project that employed some of this generation’s biggest stars and broke box office records, was reduced to a cheap joke. Gerwig had every right to be upset, but handled the situation with grace. No one even knows who Jo Koy is. What gives him the authority to pass such harsh judgment?
Another example of this was when Koy made a similar joke about Taylor Swift, slighting her for the amount of times she’s shown on TV at NFL games. Swift simply took a sip of her drink, with no expression, and is being criticized for her reaction and called dramatic. How is Gosling’s pained smile an okay and accepted reaction and taking a sip isn’t?
Overall, Koy’s monologue left listeners disappointed and waiting for the real jokes to begin. Not only were his jokes needlessly cruel and unfounded, but just not funny. I give him zero spartan heads. Hopefully next year’s Golden Globes will uplift and highlight the nominees, regardless of gender. Every nominee deserves the same reverence and respect given by default to works made by and for men. Women’s creative labor and accomplishments aren’t a joke, and don’t deserve to be treated as such.