Jo Koy can’t seem to catch a break. The Filipino-American comedian recently announced that his latest tour, All-New Jo Koy: Just Being Koy, will be making a stop at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on June 21. This will mark Koy’s professional return to the Philippines after both his 2022 Manila show and his controversial stint as the host of the 2024 Golden Globes.
However, some Filipinos don’t seem to be too excited about Koy’s scheduled performance. “Would love to support [Filipino] acts but he’s just not funny for me anymore,” one X user commented on official promoter Live Nation PH’s announcement of the show. “He’s not getting gigs there [in the United States] so he’ll try here…unfortunately di sya benta sa pinoy,” wrote another X user.
Koy first gained global recognition with his multiple comedy specials released on major platforms like Comedy Central and Netflix. Known for his jokes about Filipino culture as well as his impersonations of his very Filipino mother, Koy carved a niche for himself as a comedian who embodied Filipino-ness, much to the delight of both Filipino and non-Filipino audiences.
But Koy’s career took a sharp turn in 2024 when he stepped in at the last minute to host theGolden Globes ceremony. Perhaps due to not having time to prepare for the role (Koy was announced as host less than two weeks before the January 7 ceremony), the comedian was criticized for a shaky monologue, jokes that punched below the belt, and eventually throwing his writers under the bus. “Some I wrote, some other people wrote,” Koy said onstage during the ceremony. “Yo, I got the gig ten days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Shut up! You’re kidding me, right? I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”
It’s difficult to see where Koy stands among Filipinos, many of whom expressed disappointment in the comedian after he bombed his performance at the Golden Globes. But shaky performance aside, it’s important to recognize the impact Koy has made on bringing Filipino culture into the global spotlight. “I really appreciate what he’s done for visibility for Filipinos around the world,” comedian Fran Ayala-Rock, co-founder of comedic troupe Bitches in Stitches, told Rolling Stone Philippines. “Whether you like or dislike him, you really can’t discount his efforts in elevating the visibility of the Filipino people with his work, and I will always be appreciative of that.”
