Seth Meyers: The Reluctant Self-Advertiser
Seth Meyers is apparently growing tired of the sound of his own voice—who wouldn’t after a career of self-promotion? Recently, during a much-shared segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he jovially lamented about the overwhelming Emmy campaign for his various projects, which include: Late Night With Seth Meyers, his “Closer Look” special on Election Night, the lovely Corrections web series, and even his HBO special, Dad Man Walking. The man is busier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
Candid Conversations and Comedy Conundrums
In the course of promoting his Emmy contenders, Meyers has found himself being interviewed more than a conspiracy theorist at a Flat Earth convention. Between high-profile podcasts and chit-chat at the ATX TV festival, he’s been soaking up the spotlight. Among the colorful banter, his participation on JKL featured roast-like “attack ads.” For instance, Kimmel likened Meyers to a suit-less Osama bin Laden, while Meyers accused Kimmel of running a sweatshop for writers—because nothing says friendship like a bit of mockery.
The Nostalgic Return to SNL
Over breakfast pizza at the trendy Milo & Olive—a fitting place for a modern-day prince of comedy—Meyers reminisces about his time back at SNL during its 50th anniversary. He joked that writing for the show now feels like an aging ballplayer making a comeback, throwing around jokes in his backyard, affirming to himself, “I still got it!” But the reality is he’s facing new writing staff that could easily serve him a slice of humble pie—especially Colin Jost, who was busy ensuring the cast wouldn’t be left out, probably nodding grimly at the legacy of writers past.
Cuts, Laughs, and the Best of What Didn’t Make It
Ask any SNL writer, and they’ll tell you about the few sketches that didn’t make the final cut—the proverbial lost gems of comedy. But Meyers shared that much of what was on the cutting room floor this time remained intact. With legends like Eddie Murphy in the mix, sketch cuts became as rare as finding a decent cup of coffee in a roadside diner. But nostalgia looms, as Mikey the Showrunner and Seth agree: topping the 50th might be tougher than threading a needle in the dark.
The Mundanity After the Madness
After the glitz of the show, Meyers shares a tale of post-party reality: a trip to the Bluey experience with his kids. Emotionally drained but miraculously hungover-free, he found solace among fellow parents, all hoping to chat about matters cooler than animated blue dogs—like, perhaps, how they just spent the night mingling at a comedy legends’ gala.
When Politics and Comedy Collide
A year ago, Meyers felt the weight of political tension seep into his comedy—a predicament many thought was merely a bad dream. Fast-forward to Election Night: faced with déjà vu, he pondered how to infuse joy back into a political landscape more polarized than ever. Anxiety? Check. Soulless despair? Double-check. But amid the doom scrolling, Meyers is committed to transmuting angst into something resembling joy. Because if you can’t laugh at the absurdity, then really, what’s the point?
More Intimate, More Authentic
With the band gone, the show has become more “intimate”—a fancy way of saying they traded full orchestras for a cozy chat show vibe. But Meyers isn’t keen on innovating just for innovation’s sake—it’s more about scaling back to focus on what really matters: engaging conversations that draw viewers in, and the realization that perhaps the biggest tent is simply a small circus that prioritizes genuine connection over glittery excess.
