During his not-quite-opening-monologue at this year’s Emmys , host Nate Bargatze introduced himself to the audience as a stand-up comedian who has “not had a ton of success in Hollywood,” but for whom it’s “going good everywhere else.” While it’s true that much of Bargatze’s accomplishments have been made outside traditional Hollywood television or movie opportunities, he’s also a megastar who helmed the highest-grossing comedy tour of 2024 , and he wanted to remind the audience that he isn’t exactly a nobody, either. The line was a microcosm of the central issue that plagued Bargatze’s performance. At no point in the ceremony was he able to figure out whether to position himself as a celebrity outsider or insider, and by trying to keep one foot in each camp, he turned in one of the

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