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The 77th Emmy ceremony, hosted by Nate Bargatze, celebrated his delivery with much acclaim, yet some criticized his demeanor for not mentioning the recent death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. In the days following the awards ceremony, Bargatze thanked the nominees and winners and expressed gratitude to the Boys & Girls Club, but the conversations quickly divided his audience.
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Nate Bargatze appeared on one of the largest stages in television and executed a hosting gig that no less than many have called refreshingly genuine. The comedian was appreciated for dry, observational humor and went on to thank everyone involved via social media after the show. His post appeared appreciative, but feedback in the comments suggested otherwise.
While quite a number of viewers found themselves elevated with Bargatze’s style of hosting, this very vocal group expressed unsatisfactory sentiments. Several comments had emerged criticizing the comedian’s unwillingness to mention the recent demise of Charlie Kirk, a highly divisive media personality, who had been killed earlier in the week. One user said, “Why wasn’t Charlie Kirk mentioned? Politics aside, a man was assassinated for the world to see this week and not one mention?! Huge fan of yours Nate, but this is disappointing.” The sentiment was echoed by many others who felt that ignoring it was a great misstep.
The backlash was faster-though in response from the other side-who almost offers a guaranteed laugh: “Are you serious?? If you wanted anyone mentioned that has been murdered recently, how about the school children? Innocent children. This was an awards show not a place to mention Charlie Kirk.” Someone else bluntly stated: “Because he spread hatred, bigotry, and misogyny. Hope this helps!” The divide is completely clear-There was an expectation for tribute from one group, with the other believing the Emmys were not an appropriate venue for such acknowledgment.
Working his way around the melee, though, coordination from his fans plus support of Bargatze’s comedy appeared. There were comments flowing in compliments of the show’s hosting style, with one comment reading, “You were the ONLY reason I watched. The donation and deduction for long speeches was BRILLIANT!” Another added, “I know I have never met you, but I felt like my best friend was hosting the Emmys.” This sense of camaraderie and appreciation for clean, relatable humor contrasts starkly with the political criticism.
There are recommendations of charity from Miscellaneous KP: “I LOVE the BGCA support. The world does need club kids.” Almost seems to take some weight off the debating.
Mixed reactions tell in stating how exhausting a balancing act this usually is for performers melding into hosts of huge award shows. The performance was well received for its humor and heart but quickly became ground zero for more serious cultural and political dynamics. It remains an uphill dispute among the followers if the comedian ever should have commented on a recent horrendous incident.
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In the end, Nate Bargatze’s Emmy hosting gig will be remembered probably more for what it said and stirred-the good and the bad. As the comments reveal on a night to honor television; the weight of the outside world continued to place enormous pressure.