The 2015 Emmy Awards kicked off with host Andy Samberg — who himself is nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Series for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special — following what seemed like an excruciating red carpet experience in unseasonably balmy, 100 degree Los Angeles weather. Of course, it started off with a star-studded SNL-style digital short (as if there was any question) featuring the likes of Jon Hamm, Nathan Fillion, Billy Eichner, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk, among others.
Once Samberg finally took stage, however, moving onto the of the Emmys monologue itself, highlights included:
- Timely Bill Cosby, Jared Fogle, and Robert Durst joke: “not a great year for dudes who love hoagies”
- A cameo by the mean nun from Game of Thrones, who will ostensibly be shaming people offstage instead of the usual music
- Requisite Hollywood age/wage gap joke
- Also requisite and timely political humor: “But I’ve gotta say, Donald Trump seems racist… what else?” and “Does Bernie Sanders always look like his flight is delayed?”
- Proposed Mad Men prequel: “Dick Whitman, Horny Hobo”
- A nod to True Detective’s disappointing second season: “we also said goodbye to True Detective even though it’s still on the air”
- Hands down the best joke came at expense of self-made martyr, Kentucky county Clerk Kim Davis, citing Paula Deen’s turn on Dancing with the Stars: “If I wanted to see an intolerant lady dance I would have gone to one of Kim Davis’ four weddings” with the hilarious follow-up that it was “ironic that she came out to eye of the tiger when you consider how many dudes have boned each other to that song”
We’ve got about two-and-half hours to go. Buckle up, folks.
