Jokes, jokes and more jokes! Michael Che and Colin Jost provided plenty of laughs as the hosts of the 2018 Emmy Awards on Monday, September 17.
The Saturday Night Live stars, who have coanchored the NBC variety show’s “Weekend Update” segment together since 2014, let their castmates Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon have the spotlight first with a musical number before taking the stage for their opening monologue.
Check out Che and Jost’s best moments from the night!
1. Roseanne Jabs
Early on, the pair tackled headline-making TV news, including the cancellation of the revival of Roseanne Barr’s namesake sitcom. After naming shows that were canceled and then picked up by other networks, Che, 35, joked, “Roseanne was canceled by herself, but picked up by white nationalists.” He then noted that the actress, 65, said she plans to move to Israel in the wake of the racist tweet that started the controversy before quipping, “How messed up is your life that you have to go to the Middle East just to get peace of mind?”
2. #MeToo
Jost, 36, referenced the movement against sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood during the opening monologue. Speaking about Netflix scoring an astounding 112 nominations, he joked, “If you’re a network executive, that’s the scariest thing you could possibly hear. Except for, ‘Sir, Ronan Farrow is on line one.’” (The journalist, 30, received a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year for his New Yorker exposé on the sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein.)
3. Reparation Emmys
Che took a moment to present a number of “Reparation Emmys” to famous black actors from iconic shows who never won trophies. “As a black comedian, for so many years, our TV legends and heroes have gone unrecognized,” he said during a pre-taped sketch. “So this year as host, I took it upon myself to finally right some of those wrongs.” He handed out the Emmys to stars including Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons), Jimmie Walker (Good Times), Jaleel White (Family Matters) and Tichina Arnold (Martin).
4. Hurricane Relief
In one of the more touching moments from an otherwise hilarious night, Jost urged viewers to donate to relief efforts for those who have been affected by Hurricane Florence and other recent natural disasters. He said donations can be made at nbcuflorencerelief.com or by texting “GiveFlorence” to 41411. “These charities have helped so much to rebuild in Houston and in Puerto Rico, and they are ready to help in the Carolinas and Virginia now,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
Watch the video above!
