It’s late February, so you know what that means: Oscars voting is closed. And also closed are the date books for nominees looking to get some late-night face time with the Academy voters. We’re in a weird dead zone right now: The prestige season is over, and the schlock season is also waning. Grammy hopefuls are probably waiting until May to drop anything. So we got some classic showbiz folks on late night this week like Guy Fieri, Chelsea Handler, and Drew Carey.
The other big late-night story this week was Elon Musk threatening to go on The Daily Show. Let’s not conjecture on whether this is a credible threat or so much hot air (hopefully the latter). Let’s look instead to the last time a late-night host met on the field of battle with a neocon: Ted Cruz playing basketball with Jimmy Kimmel in 2018. Kimmel lost! It was bad TV! Let’s not do this again. When all engagement is good engagement, and hate clicks click the same, there’s no reason to platform these freaks. Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. For more on Elon Musk, go to No. 4 on this list.
5.
An Oscars-Host Roundtable on Kimmel
This year’s Oscars host (Conan O’Brien) visited the past few years’ host (Jimmy Kimmel), and it was fun (actually kind of sweet)! The thing I miss most about seeing Conan on a nightly schedule is the way he milks every moment for laughs that he can. The way he mugs to camera in this Kimmel interview, with no fear of the lens — it’s so great. Even talking about Bob Newhart’s funeral is a laugh riot. And Kimmel is there with him every step of the way. It’s the same chummy showbiz camaraderie people used to love so much in the Rat Pack. Plus, there are a lot of shout-outs for Oscars-producer extraordinaire Molly McNearney!
4.
Jon Stewart Bleeds for You
Every late-night show got a lot of material out of Elon Musk’s weird day in the presidential Cabinet, but only Jon Stewart bled for it. Stewart smashed a mug while criticizing Musk’s DOGE program, saying “We’re getting fucked at a Diddy party, and they’re making us buy the baby oil.” But as this “After the Cut” segment shows, he’s cut himself for comedy more than once on this show. Stewart’s dedication is part of what makes his “Headlines” segment pop. In fact, they pop every time it seems like one of his blood vessels is going to do the same. Hats off to the shouting-est host on TV.
3.
Jennifer Tilly Has a Lucille Bluth Moment on WWHL
Watching Real Housewives guess the price of normal things — who approved this bit? Thank them. Send them a bottle of Champagne ($10?) or a banana (also $10?) in gratitude. Jennifer Tilly owns a house she doesn’t occupy because it’s haunted. Instead, she lives in the house next door. The more we can demystify what having Simpsons divorce money does to the human brain, the better.
2.
Kumail Nanjiani Gives After Midnight Some Alts
This entire episode of After Midnight — essentially a Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail reunion — was a delight. Any time the panelists on After Midnight have a prior relationship, it’s gold. And these three have known each other for decades. Jonah Ray, Emily V. Gordon, and Kumail Nanjiani had a hang sesh on CBS’s dime, and I was entertained. But the highlight was MCU vet Nanjiani giving lots of options for the After Midnight postproduction department to insert the word “semen” where he’d previously said the bleeped “jizz.” It makes sense in context, I promise.
1.
Bong Joon Ho Is Our Most Gifted Silent Comedian
Sorry, Los Angeles clowning scene, but Bong Joon Ho is funnier than you. And with more economy of movement! The director has figured out that the best way to sell his shit across language barriers is to be incredibly charming in moments of physical comedy. The prop work with the stuffed animal, the beat between what he says and what the translator translates, rubbing his body all over Colbert’s chair because John Carpenter sat there first — it’s all fertile ground for expression. Remember when he made his Oscars kiss? He’s so funny it’s insane.
More From This Series
- Polymath Amanda Seyfried Won Late Night This Week
- Seth Meyers’s Cavalcade of SNL Writers Won Late Night
- Kieran Culkin’s Tonight Show Audition Won Late Night This Week