{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Jo Koy took aim at Hollywood in his first stand-up set following his highly acclaimed performance as host of the 81st Golden Globes.
The 53-year-old comedian faced backlash over jokes he made while hosting Sunday's awards show, which left some stars in the audience, including Taylor Swift, visibly unhappy.
On Friday night, Koy performed at the Stifel Theater in St. Louis, Missouri, where he received thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the audience after taking the stage, according to Variety.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“Holy shit, right?” Koy said of the crowd's reaction. “That big hug you gave me is all I need, swear to God. F—— Whirlwind, damn it.
GOLDEN GLOBES HOST JO KOY'S APPEARANCE ONLINE CALLED A 'NEAR TOTAL DISASTER': 'REDUCTIONAL, SEXIST AND CHEAP'
Jo Koy called celebrities “marshmallows” after backlash at the Golden Globes. (Stephen J Cohen/Getty Images)
“A lot of marshmallows, man,” he said, according to the outlet, referring to the Golden Globes audience. “They’re delicious, but damn, they’re soft.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“I just come from a different time. I see the changes that are happening. I get it, but damn, can we fucking laugh at ourselves?”
According to Variety, Koy's remarks were met with applause from the St. Louis audience, with one person in attendance shouting, “F— em!”
“I feel like none of you, mom, have seen it, and I'm kind of happy,” Koy said. “Oh my God. It feels good to live in this country. We can say whatever we want to say. Don't apologize for it at all. Be able to…speak your mind.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The comedian caused controversy with some of his jokes while hosting the awards ceremony on Sunday. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
During his appearance, Koy avoided directly mentioning the Golden Globes by name, although he alluded several times to the awards show and the controversy surrounding his performance as host.
“The weather is better in Hollywood, but I'm happy to be in this snowstorm. When it rains, it pours,” he joked after arriving at the venue an hour late due to bad weather.
According to Variety, Koy touched on a number of topics during his performance, including cultural sensitivity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“Here in St. Louis, [you’ve got] People who listen to you, understand you and understand that we are not all out to attack each other. “It’s stupid in LA,” Koy said.
Do you like what you're reading? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
The comedian began speaking to one attendee and asked, “Want me to guess what ethnicity you are?”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“No! “I’ve already gotten into trouble this week,” he joked, laughing.
“Oh God, this is fun,” he said as the crowd applauded. “I haven't laughed in four days. I'm so happy. You make me so happy.”
Koy later admitted he had an “off night”. (Getty Images)
Later in his performance, Koy emphasized the importance of taking risks and bouncing back after failure.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“You are allowed to fail. Fail as often as you can. Just make sure you get the f— back on track,” he said as the audience clapped.
“F— up. Risk. Take a risk. Without any risk, you will never know if something is possible. I'm back, motherf——. Take that risk.”
At the end of his performance, Koy thanked the audience for their support.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“That was a fun show, guys,” he said. “I needed it. This is therapy. Guys, I love you. Thank you.”
During an appearance on ABC's “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Koy addressed the Golden Globes backlash and admitted he had an “off night.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“I had fun,” he said. “You know, it was a moment I will always remember. It's a hard space. It was a tough job, I’m not going to lie.”
“I would be lying if [I said] “It doesn’t hurt,” Koy said of the criticism. “Hosting is just a tough job.” Yes, I am a stand-up comedian, but hosting is a different style. I kind of went in and did the writers thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I still have to say I loved what I did.
The Washington native said his joke about Taylor Swift during his monologue was intended as a dig at the NFL. (Getty Images)
The “Easter Sunday” star also said his joke about Taylor Swift, who was nominated for her “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” was “weird.” Koy took aim at Swift by pointing out the attention the NFL typically gives the pop star when she attends her boyfriend Travis Kelce's football games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL – at the Golden Globes we have less camera footage of Taylor Swift,” Koy joked. “I swear there’s just more to explore.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The camera then panned to Swift, who took a sip of her drink with a serious face.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“I tried to make fun of the NFL with cutaways and how the Globes didn't have to do that,” Koy explained on “GMA3.” So it was more of a dig at the NFL. But it just didn’t come across that way.”
Several comedians have defended Koy in the face of the backlash, including Kevin Hart and Michael Che, who both warned fellow comedians against hosting future awards shows.