Reneé Rapp slams Golden Globes host Jo Koy for ‘making a bunch of jokes about women’

The first-time Golden Globe host’s opening monologue was not well-received

Reneé Rapp has called out 2024 Golden Globe host Jo Koy for making women the butt of his jokes at the ceremony.

During a brief Q&A for Today with Hoda & Jenna’s TikTok account at the Mean Girls world premiere, the movie’s star and rising pop singer, 24, listed her “ins and outs” for the new year.

Referring to Koy’s disastrous opening monologue, Rapp said: “My out is the man that was making a bunch of jokes about women last night at the Golden Globes.”

She also listed “the man that yelled at me this morning at 8am and told me to smile” as one of her “outs” – something she wants to leave in the past.

As for her “in” the “Too Well” singer pointed to her co-star Angourie Rice’s “cute” belt. “It was the first thing that caught my eye this morning,” she praised of the Mare of Easttown alum’s double-buckled silver belt. “I just love it.”

Sunday night’s Golden Globes were hosted by Koy, a relatively unknown US comedian.

The Easter Sunday and Haunted Mansion star nervously took the stage, revealing that he had only landed the gig two weeks prior.

He opened the evening by poking fun at subjects ranging from Oppenheimer’s three-hour runtime to the NFL’s coverage of Taylor Swift, the latter of whom did not seem impressed by the joke.

Koy later introduced Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, calling it an adaptation of “a plastic doll with big boobs”. Several online commentators have criticised his remark as “sexist” and “disgusting”, suggesting that he missed the entire point of the film.

Gerwig, however, has addressed the polarising joke with empathy, telling Radio 4’s Today programme that Koy was “not wrong”.

“She’s the first doll that was mass-produced with breasts so he was right on,” the Oscar-nominated writer-directed added with a laugh.

Steve Martin also defended Koy. “I tip my hat to anyone who steps out on stage to host a live awards show,” the Only Murders in the Building star wrote on Threads. “It’s a very difficult job and not for the squeamish. I know because I’m still throwing up from the last time I did it in 2010.”

Koy himself commented on his lacklustre performance, admitting to Good Morning America that “I wanted to give more a little bit more of me and I [fell] short, that’s all”.

“I’d be lying if [I said] it doesn’t hurt… Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I’m a stand-up comic but that hosting position it’s a different style,” he said.