‘Barbie’ Director Backs Jo Koy’s Golden Globes Joke: ‘He’s Not Wrong’

Greta Gerwig was unfazed by Jo Koy's controversial Golden Globes 2024 joke aimed at her film, "Barbie."

During his opening monologue at Sunday's awards show, the comedian compared Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" to "Barbie" in a quip that polarized audiences and sparked backlash on social media.

"'Oppenheimer' is based on the 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project -- and 'Barbie' is about a plastic doll with big boobies," Jo Koy said.

But while the joke was criticized by some viewers, Gerwig pointed out during an interview on BBC Radio 4's "Today" that Jo Koy was "right on" when he made the quip.

"Well, he's not wrong. She's the first doll that was mass produced with breasts, so he was right on. And you know, I think that so much of the project of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic doll... Barbie by her very construction has no character, no story, she's there to be projected upon," the filmmaker said.

Gerwig noted that Ruth Handler created Barbie after realizing that children wanted to pretend to be grown women rather than mothers.

"Barbie has been around since 1959... she's been a villain and she's been a hero, but it felt like in a way even though it's so seemingly superficial that it was such a rich place to start," she explained of the film.

The nod to the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon wasn't the only joke Jo Koy made about the Margot Robbie-starrer, which won the Golden Globes' inaugural cinematic and box office achievement award for its $1.442 billion global gross last year.

"The key moment in 'Barbie' is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath and cellulite and flat feet - or what casting directors call 'character acting,'" the comedian joked.

The quip, however, fell flat, with Selena Gomez even captured putting her face in her hands.

Despite the backlash, fellow comedians and entertainers, including Kevin Hart and Steve Martin, expressed support for Jo Koy.

Hart defended him, telling Daily Mail, "I think Jo Koy is an amazing comedian, always has been. It's a tough room, and without the knowledge and understanding of how to navigate a room -- you can have some moments, some bumps."

Having faced his own hosting challenges, Hart added that he believes Jo Koy will bounce back from his Golden Globes stint.

Martin, a hosting veteran himself, applauded Jo Koy's courage in taking on the challenging gig.

In a statement via Threads, Martin wrote, "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."

Despite the hits and misses, Martin joked that the controversy has given Jo Koy new material for his future stand-up routines.

"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!" he added.

Tags

Jo Koy, Greta Gerwig, Golden Globes 2024, Barbie