Jo Koy took aim at Hollywood during his first stand-up set after his widely panned performance as host of the 81st Golden Globes.
The 53-year-old comedian has faced backlash over jokes he made while hosting the award show Sunday, some of which left stars in the audience, including Taylor Swift, visibly unamused.
On Friday night, Koy performed at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, where he received roaring applause and a standing ovation from the audience after taking the stage, according to Variety.
“Holy s—, right?,” Koy said of the crowd’s reaction. “This big hug that you gave me is all I need, swear to god. F—— whirlwind, goddamn.
GOLDEN GLOBES HOST JO KOY’S PERFORMANCE LABELED A ‘NEAR-TOTAL DISASTER’ ONLINE: ‘REDUCTIVE, SEXIST AND CHEAP’
Jo Koy slammed celebrities as “marshmallows” after Golden Globes backlash. (Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images)
“Lot a marshmallows, man,” he said, referring to the Golden Globes audience, per the outlet. “They’re delicious, but goddamn, they’re soft.
“I just come from a different time. I see the changes that are happening. I get it, but goddamn, can we f—— laugh at ourselves?”
According to Variety, Koy’s remarks were met with applause by the St. Louis audience with one person in attendance shouting, “F— ‘em!”
“I got a feeling none of you motherf—— watched it, and I’m kinda happy,” Koy said. “Oh my God. It feels good to live in this country. We get to say what we want to say. Don’t be apologetic about it at all. Be able to … speak your mind.”
The comedian sparked controversy with some of his jokes while hosting the award show Sunday. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
During his set, Koy avoided directly naming the Golden Globes, though he alluded to the award show and the controversy over his hosting performance several times.
“The weather is better in Hollywood, but I’m happy to be in this blizzard. When it rains, it pours,” he joked after arriving an hour late to the venue due to inclement weather.
While performing, Koy touched on a number of topics, including cultural sensitivity, according to Variety.
“Here in St. Louis, [you’ve got] people that listen to you, understand you and understand we’re not all out to attack each other. It’s stupid in LA,” Koy said.
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The comedian began speaking with an attendee and asked, “You want me to guess what ethnicity you are?”
“No! I already got in trouble this week,” he quipped with a laugh.
“Oh God, this is fun,” he said as the crowd applauded. “I haven’t laughed in four days. I’m so happy. You guys make me so happy.”
Koy later admitted that he had an “off night.” (Getty Images)
Later in his set, Koy emphasized the importance of taking risks and rebounding after failure.
“You’re allowed to fail. Fail as much as you can. Just make sure you get the f— back up,” he said as the audience clapped.
“F— up. Risk. Take a risk. Without any risk, you’re never gonna know if anything’s possible. I’m back, motherf——. Take that risk.”
At the end of his performance, Koy expressed his gratitude for the crowd’s support.
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“This has been a fun show, you guys,” he said. “I needed it. This is therapy. You guys, I love you. Thank you so much.”
During an appearance on ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Koy addressed the Golden Globes backlash, admitting he had an “off night.”
“I had fun,” he said. “You know, it was a moment that I’ll always remember. 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,” Koy said of the criticism. “Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic, but that hosting position, it’s a different style. I kind of went in and did the writers’ thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did.”
The Washington native said his joke about Taylor Swift during his monologue was meant to be a dig at the NFL. (Getty Images)
The “Easter Sunday” star also said his joke about Taylor Swift, who was nominated for her “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” was “weird.” Koy took a shot at Swift by referencing the attention the NFL typically gives the pop star when she attends her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s football games.
“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL — on the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” Koy joked. “I swear, there’s just more to go to.”
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The camera then panned to Swift, who remained straight-faced as she took a sip of her drink.
“I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that,” Koy explained on “GMA3.” So, it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”
Several comedians have come to Koy’s defense amid the backlash, including Kevin Hart and Michael Che, who both warned fellow comics against hosting future award shows.