Colin Jost's Emmy fumble: Was it the night's biggest oops?

Colin Jost's Emmy Encore: A Walk Down Memory Lane

The 70th Emmy Awards, meant to be a night celebrating the crème de la crème of TV, turned into a stage of varied reactions, mostly centered on two controversial hosts: Michael Che and our very own Colin Jost. The duo, celebrated for their "Weekend Update" partnership on Saturday Night Live, didn't quite hit the mark that night, as reported by The Atlantic.

Missing the Emmy Beat

Their characteristic one-liners, usually met with amusement on SNL, echoed with "a seasoned air of disinterest" at the Emmys. Gone were the quirks and fun, replaced with what could only be described as a classroom presentation gone awry. Instead of stealing the show, "Jost and Che stood in front of the audience listlessly, holding their hands before them like guilty schoolchildren."

The night began with a promise. Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon's vibrant opening number promised a spectacular evening ahead. They, along with Kristen Bell and Tituss Burgess, set a lively pace only to be halted by Jost and Che's underwhelming performance, which felt out of place in such a star-studded night.

The Controversial Statements: Too Light or Too Heavy?

Ahead of the Emmys, the duo made it clear: they wanted to keep things light, stay away from politics, and focus on celebrating the magic of television. Yet, the outcome? "The duo had the energy of two students giving a dutiful book report." Their lack of interaction with the audience members further added to the subdued atmosphere.

It didn't help that their history of awkward statements had already set them on a shaky foundation before stepping onto the Emmy stage. One wonders if being less involved in the daily TV business compared to their predecessors affected their rapport with the audience. Colbert, Kimmel, Meyers, and Fallon, previous hosts of the Emmys, had that daily interaction with TV's best, which perhaps made them more in-tune with their audience's pulse.

Their jokes at the Emmys ranged from Jost’s dig at the prices from the past to Che’s focus on white award winners' acceptance speeches. "At the first Emmys ceremony in 1949, gas was 17 cents a gallon, a new home cost $7,000, and we all agreed that Nazis were bad," Jost quipped.

Silver Lining: Brighter Spots of the Night

The evening wasn't all gloom, though. Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg's short stint on the stage proved a delightful change, their chemistry igniting the stage, leaving many wishing for them to take over the helm in the coming years. Their presence contrasted starkly with Jost and Che’s, making the audience yearn for more energetic hosts.

Looking back, it’s apparent that Jost and Che’s turn at the Emmys was a mixed bag. While their humor might have won hearts on SNL, the Emmys required a different touch, perhaps a lesson learned for the duo.

Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.