Nate Bargatze's Emmys Money Bit Is Not Working

"When Nate Bargatze said he wouldn't be doing any political jokes at the Emmys, we said, "Okay, sure." When he said he was going to keep things fun and silly, we said, "That sounds awesome." When he spent basically the entire show explaining and then referencing his one (1) bit - a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of America that loses funds every time a speech goes over - we drew a line. Enough is enough: the money bit is not working."

"When Bargatze explained the bit to CNN earlier in the week, the money idea was still funny. His convoluted math problem promised to keep the ceremony relatively short and to donate to a good cause. In practice, however, the joke has proven tedious. Bargatze's bit is predicated on the fact that most awards show speeches are self-indulgent, rambling tributes to other celebrities, which is fine. It's not a crime. But in actuality, most awards show speeches are sweaty, nervous, uncomfortable, exceedingly earnest, and grateful."

"The show has also featured a number of first-time nominees and first-time winners like Tramell Tillman, Jeff Hiller, Hannah Einbinder, and Owen Cooper, all of whom have been forced to amend their moment in the spotlight to adhere to the joke. Even John Oliver, who has won several Emmys, took his time on stage to tell Bargatze off for the bit (jokingly, it seems, but still)."

Nate Bargatze centered the Emmys on a single running gag that pledged a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of America but subtracted money whenever speeches ran long. The bit relied on a contrived math premise to shorten the ceremony and framed typical awards speeches as self-indulgent ramblings. In practice, the gag became repetitive and tedious, forcing first-time nominees and winners to truncate their moments. The countdown sometimes clashed with heartfelt, tearful acceptance speeches. Repeated check-ins without escalation made the joke stale and diminished the ceremony's humor and emotional resonance.

Read at Vulture