Josie: “Hindi madali maging komedyante kagaya ng anak ko”
Jo Koy’s mother, Josie Harrison, has aired her sentiments on the massive backlash that his son faced after hosting the 81st Golden Globes Awards on January 8, 2024.
The Filipino-American comedian was tapped as the host for the prestigious award-giving ceremony. However, he later saw himself on the receiving end of criticism after his remarks on some celebrities did not sit well with the audience.
For one, Jo Koy’s set includes Taylor Swift and her newfound romance with football player Travis Kelce.
As he puts it, “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL…On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”
Screengrab from Golden Globes on YouTube
The comedian has also outrightly downplayed Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” film in comparison with Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which he says is about the “721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book based on the Manhattan project.”
According to him, the contrast is quite big, given that “Barbie” is just about “plastic dolls with big boobies.” Taking it further, he says that the key moment in the film is when “she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat fee, or what casting directors call character acting.”
Margot Robbie plays the titular character of “Barbie,” while Cillian Murphy banners “Oppenheimer.” The two films’ same-day release on July 21, 2023 led to a pop culture reference that fansnow call as “Barbenheimer.”
In true Golden Globes tradition, the host is allowed to take a jab on celebrities and films for the sake of humor. But the case renders itself different for Jo Koy whose jokes were not at all laughable, as indicated by the eerie silence from the crowd.
While going through his lines, Jo Koy also decided to blame the writers for his flat jokes and even emphasized that he was only tapped as the host ten days prior to the event, thus there’s not much time to prepare.
Jo Koy’s mother defends son from backlash
More than two weeks have passed since Jo Koy’s controversial hosting, his mom, Josie Harrison, has finally spoken up on the largely negative comments received by his son.
Speaking with ABS-CBN News’ North America Bureau, Josie expresses, “If you love somebody and you know they’re hurt, it hurts me [too].”
While acknowledging the demands of Jo Koy’s task, Josie also emphasizes that being a comedian in front of a large crowd is no easy duty at all.
With that, she has a message for Jo Koy’s detractors, “Ang masasabi ko lang sa kanila, ito. Hindi po napakadali ang magsalita ng ganyan. Hindi madali maging komedyante kagaya ng anak ko.
“Ang gaya ng sabi ko, ang isang komedyante, they try to please you. They try to make you laugh, to make you smile. Yun ang naging trabaho ni [Jo Koy] nung gabing yun.”
Screengrab ABS-CBN News
While there are several artists who took Jo Koy under their defense, his mother still could not settle knowing that most of the criticism comes from fellow Filipinos.
“Nalungkot ako sa iba, lalo na pag nakikita ko ang source ng naysayers, should I say, e, mga Filipino. I was kind of disappointed. Ang sabi ko [kay Jo Koy] don’t be so concerned about the naysayers, you know, dahil you cannot please everybody.
“Kahit sa normal life, you know, hindi mo mapi-please ang everybody to be happy in what you said,” Josie says.
In the end, Josie says that Asians must take pride in Jo Koy since the comedian is doing it for the region and Filipinos in particular.
Jo Koy made history as the first Filipino comedian to host the Golden Globes Awards.
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