Emmy viewers were disappointed to get only a glimpse of best friends and former co-stars Amy Poehler and Tina Fey at the awards show.
The Saturday Night Live alumnae reunited behind the Weekend Update desk to present an award in what turned out to be a night of nostalgic throwbacks at the ceremony. Poehler and Fey gave out the award for Outstanding Live Variety Special from a replica of the SNL desk and joked about not wanting to stand.
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“We’ve reached the stage in life when we’ll only present awards sitting down. Here are tonight’s nominees for Outstanding Live Variety Special,” Fey said.
In the classic Weekend Update style from SNL, the pair made a joke about each nominee rather than just reading out their names.
“The only show that’s longer than Titanic with commercials on TBS [is] the Oscars,” Poehler said.
Fey added: “The concert so good, it got us all pregnant: The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna.“
Then she said: “For Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, Chris couldn’t be here tonight, but if he wins, we’ll accept on his behalf, because we miss getting Emmys.”
Poehler then announced the final nominee, Sir Elton John, who ended up winning the award and achieving EGOT status. He won for his 2022 Disney+ special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium and now means he has joined the exclusive club of people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
“Now, I can’t speak for Elton, but he EGOT to be excited about it,” Poehler said.
People watching at home loved seeing the comedy duo back together and wished they were hosting the show instead of Anthony Anderson. Poehler and Fey successfully hosted the Golden Globes and other awards shows for a number of years.
“@TheEmmys Why didn’t you make #TinaFey and #AmyPoehler the host of this show? Last I remember when they hosted an award show, they were funny as hell. The audience were constantly laughing. They offended no one. Anthony Anderson & his mama is making a disaster of the show,” wrote one person on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another added: “Tina Fey & Amy Poehler were there the whole time and didn’t host!!!!”
And a third posted: “‘We’ve reached the age where we only present awards sitting down.’ #tinafey and #amypoehler should host every #awardshow from now on.”
John said he was humbled to achieve EGOT status for his live-streamed concert, which was part of his farewell tour.
“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight. The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world,” the musician said in a statement to media.
“Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.