Joy Behar says Taylor Swift 'needs to get over' Jo Koy's Golden Globes joke

Joy Behar, The View's resident queen of comedy, has issued a royal decree for Taylor Swift after her seemingly sour reaction to a joke host Jo Koy made about her during his opening monologue at last weekend's Golden Globes ceremony.

The 81-year-old comedian and longtime talk show panelist expressed frustration with a multitude of factors that contributed to the reception of Koy's widely panned set, including a joke he made about NFL games — where Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays — showing more cutaway shots of the pop superstar than televised awards shows like the Globes.

"When Jo Koy made a joke about Taylor Swift, that was a mistake, because no one laughed, and Taylor took a sip, I noticed, in the moment, which indicated she was not happy with that," Behar told View producer Brian Teta on Wednesday's episode of the Behind the Table podcast. "Meanwhile, she needs to get over it, also. It's like, come on, it's just a joke about how many times we see you on awards shows. It wasn't that funny, but you need to play along with the comedian."

Behar also criticized the culture surrounding comedians taking on hosting gigs at major awards shows, calling it one of the most difficult jobs in the industry that she feels only a select few talents are capable of handling in 2024.

"Ricky Gervais is the only one — maybe Steve Martin could do it, because he's part of the community — but, I believe that if you're going to have a stand-up comedian, they have to be outside the big people, the adults. We have to be the ones who will take no prisoners and say what everyone else is thinking, and they don't care if you don't laugh," Behar said of Gervais, whom has hosted the Globes several times in the past, before winning the show's inaugural award for stand-up comedians last week. "Ricky Gervais does not give a flying you-know-what if they don't laugh and they don't approve."

In Behar's estimation, Koy's biggest fault was that he "cared" about the reaction in the room.

"At one point, I think he even blamed his writers," she observed. "You never do that. Johnny Carson never did that. When his jokes bombed, he never said, 'Thanks, writers!' He never did that. He took full responsibility when they got a laugh, and he took it when they bombed."

Behar's comments come days after her View cohosts also shaded Swift and other celebrities at the Globes for their tepid reaction to Koy's monologue.

"I love Jo Koy and the whole time I was nervous for him because I think he's so funny. He's kind, he's good, all the things. What bothers me more in watching this is, get a sense of humor, because we need to protect these national treasures called our comedians, because life needs them," Sara Haines said on Monday's episode. "We need to stop binding them in, fencing them in. In that room, Jo Koy is punching up. No one feels sorry. Just smile."

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on ABC. Listen to Behar on the Behind the Table podcast above.

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