Don’t expect the Primetime Emmy Awards to replicate the controversy that happened at the Oscars. Coming this Sunday,the Emmyswill feature comedianKenan Thompsonas the host of the ceremony. Ahead of the event, Thompson addressed the potentiality of someone getting slapped on stage or any other kind of random act of violence, and for his part, theSaturday Night Livefavorite predicts that viewers won’t have to worry about that happening at this show.
Thompson’s promise comes from a new interview with theAssociated Press. He says that the Oscars incident, which involved Will Smith smacking and screaming obscenities at Chris Rock, was something that nobody saw coming. Because people might be expecting or at least more prepared for a similar situation moving forward, Thompson doesn’t imagine that an award presenter will be attacked quite as easily at the Emmys. At the same time, he says there may be some light roasting at the ceremony, but nothing cruel enough to warrant an angry reaction. As Thompson puts it:
“It kind of just threw the entire world off guard, basically, and that won’t happen again. Even if I am roasting (someone), it shouldn’t come across as any sort of malice.”
Thompson is not the firstSNLalum to host the Emmys, following previous comics to take that spot including Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Andy Samberg. He admits that he had to spend some time thinking about the offer when he was asked to host the Emmys. Thompson feels that the night is so important that he wanted to be absolutely sure he would be up to the ask of hosting the big show.
“It’s a huge deal, and it’s not necessarily something that I want to drop the ball on. So I was like, ‘Let me sit with this.’ This should be a night of appreciating artistry and creativity and removing the stress of it all out. I get it — it sucks to lose, and everybody’s picking outfits and trying to do the red carpet thing. But at the same time, it’s an awesome thing to be in the room on Emmys night, and I don’t want that to get lost in the stress.”
Related:SNL’s Kenan Thompson Thinks the Show Should End with 2024-2025 Season
Kenan Says The Emmys Will Open With a Bang
We shouldn’t expect to see one entertainer attacking another at the Emmys, but perhaps a big way of opening the show is something fans can anticipate. Thompson teased a strong opener for the program, suggesting that there were some good ideas “cooking” to kick off the show. The idea is to hook the attention of the viewers right away.
“I think we need to open with a bang…. (and) there’s some ideas cooking on that level. But whatever it is, it has got to be tight, and it can’t seem like it’s just there to fill time. We have their (viewers) attention. It’d better be worth having.”
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Monday, Sept. 12 on NBC.
