John oliver Deliberately Shortened Emmys Acceptance Speech to Penalize Host Nate Bargatze’s Running Gag
Los Angeles, CA – John Oliver intentionally kept his Emmy acceptance speech brief on Monday night as a playful jab at host Nate Bargatze’s ongoing joke about deducting from a charitable donation for speeches exceeding a time limit. Oliver, accepting the award for Outstanding Talk series for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, revealed he strategically minimized his remarks to “cost Nate Bargatze money.”
The bit stemmed from Bargatze repeatedly announcing throughout the evening that a donation to a charity would be reduced for every second over a certain time limit that presenters and winners spoke. While the gag was met with mixed reactions, Oliver saw an opportunity for comedic timing. “I was backstage,” Oliver recalled to Jimmy Kimmel, “I was obviously very happy. I got to see it as I stopped the interview so I could watch him get up and speak. So it was great. I think we were all very happy.” He then admitted, “Most of me wanted him to win. A part of me, the part of me that I like more, just wanted to see your face go ‘Oh no, not like this.'”
The late Show’s Emmy win came despite the show’s recent cancellation, adding a bittersweet note to the victory. Stephen Colbert himself accepted the award,prompting Oliver to pause an interview to witness the moment. Rolling Stone‘s review of the Emmys noted Bargatze “at best seemed confused about why anybody watching at home should care about any of this, and at worst radiated absolute contempt for the whole thing,” criticizing the donation deduction bit as creating a negative atmosphere. Oliver’s response underscores the playful tension surrounding the host’s unconventional approach to the awards show.
