First off, I want to give Jimmy Kimmel Live! the award for “most devastating Mike Johnson burn†this week. Everyone got their licks in on the new Speaker of the House, but Kimmel saying he ranks lower than country music’s No. 1 Black yodeler Mike Johnson on the all-time Mike Johnsons list? Quality burn. Both Kimmel and The Daily Show did a “swipe way far right†joke, but the specifics in the “Mike Johnson is a generic name†riff on Kimmel really set it over the edge.
Speaking of The Daily Show, Desus Nice happened to be the guest host when noted Desus Nice enemy DJ Envy was implicated in a real-estate Ponzi scheme … and it was a slightly wasted opportunity! Desus dutifully read from the cue cards and pretended he was on a serious show. That’s fine — that’s a fine running bit to do. But it’s not maximizing Desus Nice’s potential. Dude is a shit-talker; let him talk his shit. Even if the things Desus said off the cuff wouldn’t have been as cleverly constructed as a pre-written bit, it would have been meaner. And isn’t that what topical humor is really all about: being a dick to other dicks?
5. Jimmy Kimmel Pulls Some Strings
You know who doesn’t waste a single opportunity? Jimmy Kimmel. The late-night host has Olivia Rodrigo booked, James Corden is off the air, and my man does the math! Kimmel is taking perfect advantage of his fame in order to give his children some truly buck-wild core memories. That’s how you fucking be famous. Plus, he takes the summer off every year and lets many guest hosts take a shot at helming a late-night show. That’s not just work-life balance, that’s praxis.
4. Desus Talks to Real New Yorkers
See, this is where Desus Nice excels. Let the man speak extemporaneously, and mostly about chopped cheese! Desus did the work of a Daily Show correspondent while actually serving as a Daily Show host by doing some man-on-the-street interviewing. It’s a classic, endlessly repeatable format for a reason. And “real New Yorker†is a perfect thing to interview people on. New Yorkers will love to hear their name on TV, and non–New Yorkers will delight in the internecine drama that has nothing to do with them. Other people’s drama is the foundation of the internet, and it could be mined to a greater extent on late night, frankly.
3. Mick Jagger’s Impeccable Delivery on The Tonight Show
Mick Jagger sells this recurring segment by just being a good sketch-comedy performer. Dude has had a lot of practice — he’s cameoed on SNL over so many years, it must make Kenan Thompson jealous. It must be so weird to be Mick Jagger — for infinite reasons, but one of those reasons is Jimmy Fallon. Your bestie Lorne liked this random kid from Boston, who pretends to be you sometimes, and you have to let him! And sometimes you let him do an impression of you at you. Then you see this joker around for the rest of your life, because bestie gave Boston a talk show. Many public figures meet someone who does an impression of them, but Jagger and Fallon have an ongoing relationship. That’s kind of beautiful.
2. Mae Martin and Stephen Colbert Compare Hands
Something I really appreciate about Stephen Colbert’s interview style is that he’s not always going for a joke. That sounds like a read, but it’s actually a very human desire to know another human without projecting your bullshit onto them, and it’s commendable. Colbert got to know comedian Mae Martin and let them introduce themself to a wider audience. Colbert stepped in with a quip when necessary, but also held space open for Martin to just be Martin. Sometimes the job is just to be enchanted by another human being.
1. John Oliver Talked His Shit
This clip took place on Late Night With Seth Meyers, but it belongs to Last Week Tonight host John Oliver. He started with recounting some light negging from his parents, but that’s just British culture. The moment this clip took flight was when he described being a little shit at a Sesame Street fundraising gala sponsored by Bank of America. Oliver can’t help biting the hand that feeds him (maybe because the first hand to feed him was always negging him), and in this segment, he talks about calling out Bank of America for being less than kind with mortgages during the housing crisis. He got booed surrounded by Muppets, and that’s a top-tier feat.
More From This Series
- Chris Fleming’s Experimental New Play Won Late Night This Week
- Late Night With Seth Meyers Delivers the Best Topical Comedy for This Moment
- Queening Out With the Divas of Late Night This Week