Have you ever managed to watch all the nominated shows? I certainly haven’t, but I’ve seen enough commercials to feel like I’ve already binge-watched them on a loop in an alternate universe. So, if you’re like Emmy host Nate Bargatze, who confidentally admits to not having seen every show, you might just tune in for his unique approach to the Emmy Awards. And here’s the kicker: he’s throwing $100,000 towards the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Sounds generous, right? Well, there’s a stipulation – each winner’s acceptance speech exceeding 45 seconds will cost that donation a cool $1,000 per second. Talk about a budget cut!
You could say what’s happening is a bit of a donation game show, but I digress. Bargatze was essentially asking Hollywood to keep it brief, lest he end up paying for a new community center in Santa Monica just from all the excess speech time. He humorously noted that if Hollywood goes too far over the limit, he might just need to add his own financial backing to cover the tab. But, considering Bargatze’s current standing as Billboard’s number one selling stand-up comic, tracing his success back to a sold-out tour grossing over $80 million last year, it’s evident he’s not too worried about his own pockets.
With first-time hosting gigs comes a treasure trove of advice from industry veterans. Bargatze took notes from stars like Nikki Glaser, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O’Brien. Apparently, the secret to hosting is just to be yourself—because who wouldn’t want to showcase their quirks live in front of Hollywood’s elite? Bargatze quipped that he’d prefer not to learn this art form unnoticed, especially not in the presence of Harrison Ford, who probably wouldn’t have time for bloopers.
Naturally, Bargatze brings a polite touch to the typical Hollywood roast; he even hinted at joking about the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show. “We’ll say something, but it’ll be in a fun, playful way,” he said, likely defining ‘fun’ in a way that ensures he won’t get chased down the street by a mob of angry fans wielding pitchforks. His Tennessee-style humor is a breath of fresh air in a comedy landscape often split along party lines, showing that laughter really is the best unifier—or at least it used to be.
On a lighter note, Bargatze’s backstory adds a unique flavor to his comedic style. He met his wife while working at Applebee’s—we can only assume their first date involved discussions of endless appetizers. His daughter often introduces him during his performances while his father previously dabbled in being a magician and a clown. Now, imagine having to answer the question, “Did you fear clowns as a kid?” You can almost hear the laughter in response—”Well, have you ever been yelled at by one? It’s confusing when the guy has a painted smile!”
As for the Emmy stage, Bargatze was as cool as a cucumber, eager to meet the stars. Ben Stiller? Yes, please! With “Severance” leading in nominations, Bargatze made it clear that a run-in with Stiller would be inevitable. It’s not every day you meet Hollywood royalty, after all—unless, of course, you’re Bargatze, in which case it happens fairly frequently.
Speaking of donations, the best part came when Seth Rogen gave an acceptance speech that fell under the time limit, thus increasing Bargatze’s donation to $106,000. “But don’t get too crazy,” he remarked, as he is the one footing this bill. However, as the show’s first hour dwindled, the money rapidly dived from $106,000 to a staggering negative $60,000 by the grand finale. After the drama category closed with “The Pitt” sealing the night, Bargatze casually announced CBS’s further $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club, with him throwing in a striking $250,000 just for good measure. Will we be making donations on stretches of excessive speeches at the Oscars next? Who knows, but if humor can save the day—or at least a few bucks—maybe we could all use a comedian hosting at every award show.
