To begin the week with Parasite making history at an award show for locals the Oscars and to end the week celebrating Valentine’s Day Anna Howard Shaw Day? I gotta say, I’m truly feeling the love! What is this feeling so sudden and new, am I right? But before we get into all the good things that happened this week, we’ve gotta tackle one of the eye roll–inducing trends that popped up during late night this week: celebrities low-key complaining about having to go to the Oscars. Love you, Will Ferrell, but the Oscars are not like jury duty … jury duty is like jury duty. Okay, without further ado, here are the best moments from late night this week:
5. The Daily Show Compares Iowa and New Hampshire
This week wasn’t all about celebrities giving bizarre speeches while accepting little gold men, it was also about politics, specifically white people’s politics, and no program lampooned that better than The Daily Show With Trevor Noah. The show’s segment on the New Hampshire Democratic primary with Senior Correspondent Michael Kosta hilariously highlighted the differences between Iowa (remember her?) and New Hampshire. Rural vs. Not-Urban. Egg Shell vs. Oatmeal Cream. Soda vs. Pop. This is what separates Iowanians from Newhampshirites: *Sigh* the unbearable whiteness of being (one of the first two states to vote in the Democratic primary).
4. Jim Carrey and Conan O’Brien Sketch Each Other
Reigning champion of late-night television Jim Carrey was back again this week (though not in the top spot) with his uncannily accurate portrait of Conan O’ Brien on Conan. The two sketched each other as Carrey told a delightful story about his late father meeting a doobie-smoking, robe-wearing Rodney Dangerfield. The kicker comes at the end, when Carrey and Conan reveal the portraits they drew of each other and, oddly enough, both did a pretty solid job. While Carrey’s was more artistically impressive, Conan nailed Carrey’s je ne sais quoi, if you will. Put them both in the Louvre!
3. Backstreet Boys Barbershop Quartet Sings “The Thong Songâ€
There were some great musical moments on late night this week, particularly Janet Jackson singing “Runaway†accompanied by the Roots on classroom instruments. But ultimately, I am a child of the ’90s who was in an a cappella group in college (don’t act surprised), so I’ve gotta give this spot to the Backstreet Boys’ rousing barbershop quartet rendition of Sisqo’s inimitable “Thong Song†on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The harmonies are tight! The fits are right! Also, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig sang some of the “Thong Song†at the Oscars, so this was, quite frankly, a huge week for Sisqo and we have to respect that.
2. David Sedaris and His Culottes Revolutionize Friendship on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Leave it to celebrated author and humorist David Sedaris to flip the script on the way we view relationships. Sedaris stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live this week rocking Spanx (we salute you, James Corden), a bold pair of culottes, and an even bolder approach to modern relationships. Sedaris regaled Kimmel with stories about people he’s met at book signings. One woman’s father was so cheap that he would make the family collect and use the toilet paper that the neighborhood teens used to teepee their house (can you say “sustainable kingâ€!). Most of these people he sees for a few minutes every year or so, yet still considers them friends, which spoke to me as a person with 406 unanswered text messages in their phone and no desire to read them. I hereby decree that henceforth all friendships should be relegated to two minute-long interactions that happen every 18 months or so, weather permitting *gavel bang*.
1. Karen Chee Loves Parasite, Has a Hot Grandpa
The Parasite sweep continues! Late Night With Seth Meyers came through this week with the content that I craved most: all things Parasite. Who didn’t burst into a smile after the initial bait and switch of having Meyers introduce a (boring) segment on (boring) political news, only to have Late Night writer Karen Chee come out and talk about the miracle that is Parasite in a birthday hat and customized Bong Joon Ho T-shirt (which I must have). Chee’s genuine excitement about Korean representation in cinema was palpable, and the fact that she got to shoutout her hot grandpa who wears a Brad Pitt–inspired fedora was the cherry on top. And yes, her grandpa is actually hot. Get over it!