Internet hosting awards reveals is a really thankless job.
Listed below are some issues I noticed whereas tuning in to final evening’s Golden Globes that made me chortle more durable than something the ceremony’s host, the comic Jo Koy, mentioned on stage: this video of Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy wanting misplaced on the purple carpet; the second The Bear star Ayo Edebiri remembered to acknowledge her “actual household additionally” after thanking her castmates; this tweet.
Which is to say, effectively, Koy bombed. His opening monologue started poorly—“All of us dreamt of this second!” he declared enthusiastically to silent, obvious disagreement—and solely obtained worse. Like several awards-show host, Koy shouted out particular person nominees, however virtually each joke did not land, principally as a result of the punchlines had been dated or apparent. He poked enjoyable at eventual best-drama winner Oppenheimer’s three-hour runtime, claiming he’d end watching the film in 2025. For Barbie, which later gained the brand new prize for cinematic and box-office achievement, he admitted he didn’t know what to anticipate from a film about “a plastic doll with huge boobies.” He made a quip about Meryl Streep successful on a regular basis—who hasn’t?—after which, apropos of nothing, requested her to do the “Wakanda Endlessly” pose from Black Panther.
By the top of his set, Koy sounded indignant, seemingly selecting up on how little the gang was vibing together with his comedy. “Yo, I obtained the gig 10 days in the past, you need an ideal monologue? Yo, shut up,” he mentioned. “I wrote some of those, and so they’re those you’re laughing at.”
Internet hosting a Hollywood awards present isn’t at all times a catastrophe, however Koy’s dreadful efficiency proved the thanklessness of the job. And given his late hiring, he was particularly unsuited for the duty. However because the evening continued—and Koy allotted with the gags as he launched presenters—his diminished time on stage demonstrated simply how pointless such hosts are.
Think about the few advantages to stepping on stage earlier than an viewers of principally well-known folks on observe to win prestigious awards. Positive, there’s the publicity and nonetheless a lot a bunch will get paid for the gig. However the emcee by no means walks away with a trophy. Quite, such an entertainer should toe that high quality line between sucking as much as these being feted and doing the sort of ribbing that’ll get sufficient laughter to register on a telecast. Those that have performed effectively sufficient within the position are usually late-night hosts for a cause: They’re already effectively acquainted with the celebrities within the room.
After which there’s the humor. A number who’s additionally a stand-up comedian, like Koy, doesn’t usually ship a set that’s near their common type; they need to compromise their comedy to do the job, as a result of they’re speaking solely in regards to the tasks and other people being honored. There are exceptions—Jerrod Carmichael finally 12 months’s Golden Globes involves thoughts, as a result of he had extra to debate—however most of the time, the host is anticipated to amuse these earlier than him and hold viewers hooked. Which means lobbing lighthearted one-liners at A-listers—not precisely probably the most thrilling or artistic train.
It’s telling that the Globes struggled to land a bunch till just a little greater than every week in the past—in addition to that different reveals have gone again to the identical hosts over and time and again. The Oscars, regardless of making an attempt a number of years sans host, will probably be emceed by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time in March. The Grammys will discover Trevor Noah on stage, additionally for the fourth time, later this month. Awards reveals aren’t actually for recent comedy or character. They’re for familiarity.
In some ways, then, Koy was doomed to fail. As a comic book who doesn’t anchor a late-night present, he’s not a face or title most viewers acknowledge, and making a superb first impression to these watching at dwelling and earlier than a room he’s by no means emceed makes for an intimidating problem. He additionally occurred to host the primary Globes that honored stand-up comedy, in addition to the primary main Hollywood awards present being telecast since the top of the twin author and actor strikes. That’s a celebration you wish to attend, not handle.
Maybe the largest mistake Koy made was accepting such an irrelevant job within the first place. “I wish to carry my type to the Globes,” he instructed the AP within the lead-up. “In fact, I’m going to have enjoyable. However most significantly, I wish to be certain that everybody’s pleased.” As Koy realized Sunday evening, that’s unimaginable to do at an awards present. Not until you’re a trophy.
