The 2025 Emmy Awards show began, and it was some time before host Nate Bargatze delivered his monologue. The initial segment included a sketch referencing his highly praised appearances; a popular greeting from , who made light jokes about his by CBS, the network broadcasting the event; and a lead comedy actor award . When Bargatze eventually stepped up to the microphone for notably short opening comments, he humbly inquired: “A lot of people are wondering, like, why am I hosting?” Given his uninspired delivery, focused on a device that made the ceremony resemble a telethon, the audience might have been pondering the identical question.
Among the various hosts networks have selected—ranging from to —to maintain the relevance of awards ceremonies now that traditional late-night hosts are less effective at drawing viewers, Bargatze appeared to be the most evident selection. The 46-year-old comedian had cultivated his fanbase for twenty years before his widely popular SNL hosting appearance in 2023 propelled him to immense comedic fame. (The Emmys’ opening segment, where he portrayed television innovator Philo T. Farnsworth, echoed a sketch from that particular episode’s .) A recent declared him “the most successful touring comedian in the world,” noting his 2024 ticket revenues surpassed even Jerry Seinfeld’s. Beyond his popularity, Bargatze is recognized for his wholesome, family-appropriate comedy that needs no modification for primetime broadcast. A pleasant father who steers clear of contentious subjects such as and religion, opting instead for milder, personal narratives where he often portrays himself as a good-natured simpleton, the Tennessee-born comic is also one of the few who can attract, or at least not actively alienate, a diverse audience. This combination could give the impression that he was designed for financial success, yet his comedic identity feels remarkably genuine.
Notwithstanding his significant influence in comedy, the Emmys represented a substantial hurdle for an artist actively striving to transcend his current niche. As he stated in his monologue: “I have not had a ton of success in Hollywood, but let me tell you, boy is it going good everywhere else.” His book, Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind, released in May, was a New York Times best-seller for much of the summer. His ambitious plans for Nateland, his production company—already a comprehensive platform for clean comedy—encompass an amusement park, among numerous other ventures. Bargatze aims to further establish his Hollywood presence next year with his film debut, The Breadwinner, a comedy in which he stars, co-wrote, and produced.
While not an outright catastrophe on the scale of , Sunday’s broadcast is unlikely to facilitate that shift. Downplaying the monologue wasn’t inherently a poor strategy, given Bargatze’s reluctance towards the sharp “” typical of such addresses. Regrettably, the initial sketch failed to adequately compensate for this. Similar to his Washington portrayal, Bargatze’s Farnsworth entertained three subordinates (SNL performers , Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson) with absurd yet precise forecasts for television’s future. A significant portion of this content felt uninspired, from the quip regarding TLC’s evolution from The Learning Channel to the channel for to the final observation that individuals watch high-quality programs on their phones while in the restroom.
Following some self-deprecating humor (upon seeing : “I thought they should’ve had her host”), Bargatze largely dedicated his monologue to introducing what was intended to be his distinctive recurring joke—a concept he’d in pre-ceremony interviews. He declared that to maintain the show’s timing, he had committed $100,000 of his personal funds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. For each second a winner’s acceptance speech surpassed the 45-second allowance, he would subtract a thousand dollars; conversely, for every second under that limit, he would contribute an additional thousand. One might theorize there could have been comedic value in compelling notoriously self-centered celebrities to decide between indulging in the limelight and appearing as benevolent, philanthropic individuals.
Nevertheless, in execution—and partly due to a lack of engaging content from both the host and the presenters—the poorly conceived device burdened an evening otherwise rich with uplifting victories (Jeff Hiller!) and . A continuously updated sum periodically displayed on a screen behind the stage, or more annoyingly, as a graphic hovering over some winners at the podium. Most of Bargatze’s comments between segments, though equally uninspired, centered on the monetary aspect. This imbued the entire program with the strained atmosphere of a telethon, which is arguably the most tedious form of broadcast entertainment. As anticipated, the amount steadily decreased, reaching a low of -$26,000 near the telecast’s conclusion. If the clearly unrealistic notion of a widely adored nonprofit organization owing Nate Bargatze a five-figure sum was intended to create suspense or amusement… it failed.
The running joke, and consequently the show, concluded exactly as expected. “The number, I’ll be honest with you, was embarrassing,” Bargatze informed the audience. Subsequently, he and CBS, through a display of generosity almost certainly pre-arranged, committed to donating a combined $350,000. Despite still extending a few minutes past its scheduled end, the broadcast—likely due to the hurried acceptance speeches and Bargatze’s understated hosting style—was indeed marginally shorter than typical. Personally, I would have favored an amusing four-hour Emmys over a tedious three-hour simulated telethon. However, at least the Boys & Girls Clubs benefited.
