The Barbie Dilemma
This 2024 award show season, audiences watched their favorite films celebrated for their achievements on the big screen. With popular motion pictures like Poor Things, Oppenheimer, Barbie, American Fiction, Killers of the Flower Moon, and more being nominated in their respective categories, this past year was undeniably outstanding for film. While award shows work hard to appropriately pay tribute to Hollywood's achievements over the past year, one of the most critical, “make or break” components of the night is the show’s host. With time, audiences have seen examples of both stellar and incredibly poor hosting. The 2024 award show season was no exception to this, especially regarding Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster hit, Barbie. Dialogue surrounding the topic of distasteful versus quality hosting was ignited once again after The Golden Globes—hosted by Jo Koy—and the Critics Choice Awards—hosted by Chelsea Handler—aired on TV this past January. The differences between Koy and Handler’s sets were like night and day, showcasing just how important understanding and perspective are when it comes to “joking” about something you know little about.
Before breaking down why Koy’s set was so disappointing, it is important to first examine the significance of Barbie’s release. Barbie premiered July 21, 2023, breaking the internet as women flocked to theaters to catch the film starring the iconic childhood toy. While little was known about the film from trailers alone, excitement remained at an all-time high leading up to the film. Leaked images from the set of Barbie’s main star, Margot Robbie, in Barbie’s most iconic looks, surrounded by a bubblegum pink world with vivid colors and buildings resembling the iconic Barbie dreamhouse, only served to fuel the public’s anticipation. Women all over the world made plans to see this movie, dressing up in pink and making a trip to the movies a full-on Barbie experience. It is safe to say that Barbie knocked it out of the park, earning an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and breaking records, beating out The Dark Knight as Warner Bros’ highest-grossing domestic release and easily becoming the biggest opening movie of 2023.
Barbie was a movie that portrayed the female experience so authentically that it brought many women to tears in the theater. Barbie was not portrayed as a glamorous "it-girl" of perfection but rather a woman trying to find her place in society while discovering who she is as a person. Barbie's journey started in Barbieland, where she was "Stereotypical Barbie." She lived a simple, easy life with no worries or drama; she could just be Barbie. But there was no nuance to who she was as a person; she was simply, as her name suggests, the embodiment of the perfect "stereotypical Barbie." Yet, as the film progresses, the audience sees how she discovers she can be more than that; she can be her own individual. Barbie travels to the real world in order to "fix" her thoughts pertaining to her own mortality but, in the end, discovers the complex nature of the human condition. The movie was able to delve into deep issues pertaining the Patriarchy, body and self-esteem issues, and feminism while balancing on a line of a silly and light-hearted atmosphere.
Barbie was more than just the childish comedy portrayed to audiences in the trailers. It seamlessly discussed philosophical and in-depth issues surrounding womanhood and femininity while maintaining a happy, light-hearted atmosphere. The jokes made by Jo Koy at the Golden Globes were made in poor taste and came from a place of blatant ignorance. Koy started the show with a monologue that absolutely bombed. Being seen as cringeworthy at best, the stand-up comedian struggled from the start to captivate audiences. Koy went viral after his outburst when his Barbenheimer joke failed to land, earning visual grimaces and looks of disdain from the audience. Koy started the joke praising Oppenheimer, saying, "Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” but the joke did not cease there as he followed up by saying, "The key moment in Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet. Or what casting directors call character actor!" The lack of laughter was evidence that no one in the audience was amused. As often as audiences praised Barbie, the film was going to be an uphill battle to sell to the general public. Barbie is a movie by women, for women, about women in a day and age that cares little for women. Barbie faced monumental amounts of sexism, which is clearly highlighted in Koy's monologue. To have a film authentically portraying what it's like to live as a woman be reduced down to just "a plastic doll with big boobies" on national television was not only disheartening to female viewers who connected to the raw emotion of the movie but disrespectful to Greta Gerwig and everyone who produced and built the movie.
Exactly one week later, the Critics' Choice Awards was held and hosted by Chelsea Handler, and her "jokes" about movies were not only hilarious but didn't have to tear down the movies to get a laugh. In the same way, Koy became an overnight topic of conversation, Handler went viral but was praised and admired for how she was able to carry herself and flawlessly host the awards. Handler even went as far as to poke fun at Koy's little outburst, thanking her writers who helped her with her jokes, indirectly calling out Koy, who insulted his writers when his jokes were not landing during his monologue. Handler's jokes were not demeaning but rather lighthearted, and no matter who she was poking fun at, everyone in the audience was smiling. Handler started her monologue by calling 2023 the "year of women" for film and made sure throughout the show that all women in attendance were acknowledged for their hard work this year in Hollywood; even when Barbie won best comedy during a commercial break, Handler made sure to bring Gerwig and Robbie on stage to give an acceptance speech despite their award not being televised.
Handler's hosting was a welcome change after Koy's performance. Her commentary was not only comical but respectful, creating a more entertaining and thoughtful atmosphere around the award show. It was apparent Handler did her research and could genuinely speak about the movies, while Koy seemed to be coming from a superficial perspective. While only having a basic knowledge of the movie is fine in most cases, to go on and insult one of the most popular movies of the year because he missed the message of the movie was simply ignorant and rude. Later, after the awards, Koy doubled down when interviewed on Good Morning America, saying, "I loved what I did," further disappointing fans as he did not understand the implications of his actions. Jokes aside, Barbie was able to take home multiple awards from both shows, winning 2 Golden Globes and 6 Critics Choice awards. The film will go down in history as one of the highest-grossing films ever, and thanks to Greta Gerwig's genius, Margot Robbie's brilliance, and America Ferrera's exceptional performance, the film will continue to resonate and empower women around the globe.
Written by Lauren Carmona, Photography: Mackenzie Ortiz, Design: Alyssa Lazarchik, Social Media: Bella Hanson