Mariska Hargitay Opens The Emmys With Help From Jalen Brunson, Jean Smart & A Nicole Kidman Commercial — SkimNews
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- Mariska Hargitay hosted the 78th Emmy Awards, the first woman to emcee the ceremony in 15 years, attributing the gap to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey saying no each year since.
- Hargitay opened the show with a pre-taped Joan Jett "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" parody retitled "I Love TV Screens," featuring appearances by Jalen Brunson and Jean Smart as she lip-synced name-drops of nominees.
- Hargitay wasted no time on Law & Order jokes, quipping she's been on SVU for all 78 years of the Emmys and NBC's 100 years, and targeting creator Dick Wolf with a groaner that his "real name is Richard Penis."
- Hargitay's monologue climaxed with a sincere speech about humans gathering around "the communal light" of storytelling that was revealed to be Nicole Kidman's AMC commercial, with Kidman calling out the bit from the audience.
- Hargitay recently directed an Emmy-winning documentary and made her Broadway debut, per the source's framing of her hosting credentials.
Why it matters: Hargitay's hosting broke a 15-year streak of male-only Emmy emcees, and her monologue's reveal that the sincere closing passage was actually Nicole Kidman's AMC ad turned a potentially flat moment into the show's most replayed bit. For NBC, the Kidman crossover also doubles as free promotion for its Peacock-streamed ceremony and AMC's theatrical brand.
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