Emmys host Nate Bargatze has a novel — and potentially expensive — plan to keep acceptance speeches short this year.
During a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, the comedian revealed that he plans to donate $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America after the awards ceremony. However, the exact contribution amount will depend on whether the various winners go over or under their allotted time for speeches.
“Everybody gets 45 seconds to do all the thank-yous,” Bargatze explained to Jimmy Kimmel. “So what I came up with is I’m going to donate $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club… That’s what the show’s starting at. When everybody uses their 45 seconds, if someone goes over, we take away $1,000 a second every time they go over.”
Disney/Randy Holmes
While the first-time Emmys host acknowledged that it was a “tough” deal, he noted that others can earn some of that cash back if their fellow winners get a little long-winded.
“If you go under, we will put a $1,000 back on,” Bargatze said. “So you can give it back!”
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Bargatze confessed that he doesn’t relish in the idea of having to cut anyone off during their speeches. “I know people work hard for the Emmys and stuff,” he said. “So I feel bad, but that’s [the plan].”
Kimmel followed up by asking if Bargatze had “done the math” on how much money he might end up donating if every star in attendance chose to zip through their acceptance speeches. “I don’t even want to… It could cost a good bit,” Bargatze admitted. “It could get wild.”
It would also certainly shorten the three-hour ceremony.
“Look, I always say, we got three hours but we don’t need to use it all,” Bargatze quipped. “So if everybody gave it away, it would be a ton of money. But the ones that go long, that’s fine. You get me down to like, $10,000, I’d be like, ‘All right.'”
To further shame stars into keeping their messages short and sweet, Bargatze added that kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs will also be in attendance at the event judging them for taking away their funding.
“They’re gonna come out. You’re gonna have to look them in the face,” he said. “It’s real, real.”
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And yes, he really is doing this. “I’m putting the money up, because the joke is funnier if it’s coming from me. I didn’t want it to be like in the last minute, some company pays for all,” Bargatze said. “It’s straight up: This is what they’re getting. It’s up to that room how much they want to give ’em. Or how little they want to give ’em.”
He continued, “It’s out of my hands. I’m sorry to put it on, but we got a TV show we gotta get through. You got 45 seconds. That’s a ton of time. I didn’t get to thank anybody because I lost multiple times. So I forward my time!”
Bargatze was nominated for three Creative Arts Emmys earlier this year for his 2024 comedy special Your Friend, Nate Bargatze. In addition to serving as host of the main Emmys show, he’s also nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for the same special.
So, how much money will he have to donate? We’ll have to wait and see when the Emmys air this Sunday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. Until then, watch Bargatze explain his plan in the video above.
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