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The 81st Golden Globe Awards, held January 7, 2024, gave viewers a sharp contrast: Jo Koy’s jokes drew criticism, while several speeches and a writers’ bit offered more memorable moments. These five picks are an editorial selection, not an official ranking or audience poll.
The five moments at a glance
| Moment | Why it stands out |
|---|---|
| Jo Koy’s Taylor Swift joke | A widely discussed punchline whose NFL target, Koy later said, did not come across. |
| Koy’s opening monologue | Several jokes drew criticism, and Koy’s response to the room became part of the moment. |
| Ayo Edebiri’s acceptance speech | Her thanks to assistants made the speech especially charming to TIME and Rolling Stone. |
| The screenplay presenters’ studio-executive bit | A scripted joke about the importance of writers that The Washington Post singled out as effective. |
| Lily Gladstone’s historic win | A culturally significant moment that gave the ceremony a weightier counterpoint to its comedy. |
1. The Taylor Swift joke—and the explanation afterward
During the ceremony, Koy said: “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.” The line referred to NFL broadcasts’ frequent cutaways to Swift at Kansas City Chiefs games.
Swift was shown pursing her lips and taking a sip, according to ABC News. That describes what appeared on camera; it does not establish what she thought or felt. The joke’s wording made her the punchline, even though Koy later said he meant to criticize NFL cutaways rather than Swift.
After the ceremony, Koy called the line “a little flat” and “a weird joke,” adding that it “was more on the NFL.” He said his intended meaning did not come across. (ABC News: Jo Koy explains Taylor Swift joke)
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2. Koy’s opening monologue and the “10 days ago” retort
The monologue’s reception was mixed in contemporary coverage. The Washington Post described a Barbie joke that grouped “bad breath, cellulite and flat feet” with “character actors,” as well as jokes about Ozempic and the contrast between Oppenheimer’s source book and Barbie’s origins as a doll.
After an unfavorable response to the Barbie line, Koy told the room: “I got the gig 10 days ago, you want a perfect monologue? Shut up!” The retort acknowledged the short preparation window but also became part of the night’s contentious exchange. It is fair to call the material poorly received in the coverage cited here; that is not proof every attendee or viewer reacted the same way. (The Washington Post’s account of the ceremony)
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3. Ayo Edebiri’s speech thanked the people behind the scenes
Edebiri won a Golden Globe for her work in The Bear. TIME included her acceptance speech among the night’s most charming, highlighting that she thanked assistants to her managers and agents. Rolling Stone also noted those thanks.
The detail gave a brief awards-stage moment an unusually specific focus: the assistants who help make a career’s day-to-day work possible. The official winners tracker confirms Edebiri’s win and category; no full speech transcript is needed to establish the point highlighted by the coverage. (Golden Globes winners tracker; TIME’s standout moments; Rolling Stone’s ceremony coverage)
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4. The screenplay presenters turned the writing debate into a joke
Daniel Kaluuya, Hailee Steinfeld and Shameik Moore introduced the screenplay award with a scripted bit about writers’ labor. Kaluuya explained: “To demonstrate the importance of writers and writing, we asked that this segment be written not by writers, but by studio executives.”
The Washington Post counted the bit among the few scripted banter moments that worked. Its joke depended on the contrast between writers’ contribution and executives’ role, making it an industry-specific punchline rather than a general awards-show gag. (The Washington Post’s account of the ceremony)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Lily Gladstone’s win carried historical weight
Rolling Stone reported that Gladstone became the first Indigenous actor to win a Golden Globe in the ceremony’s 81-year history. She opened some remarks in Blackfeet and dedicated the win to Native children who might see their stories represented.
That significance is distinct from whether a joke or segment entertained viewers: Gladstone’s win marked a milestone in representation, not simply another highlight in a comic or awkward broadcast. (Rolling Stone’s ceremony coverage)
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What the ratings do—and do not—say
The Associated Press reported that CBS put average viewership for the telecast at 9.4 million, about 50% higher than the prior year. The AP also noted the NFL lead-in and the starry gathering. Those figures describe the broadcast’s audience; they do not show that Swift’s appearance, Koy’s jokes or any one of these five moments caused the increase. (The Associated Press on the Globes’ ratings)
Quick Recap
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