Emmy host Kenan Thompson: “A hug moment would have stopped” Oscar Slap; He has no plans to “go out there and hurt anyone’s feelings”

Kenan Thompson will host his first Primetime Emmy show in a few days, but he’s not afraid of an “Oscar hit,” he says.

Speaking at an Emmy preview event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, she SNL The comic covered the infamous physical altercation between Oscar presenter Chris Rock and Will Smith and the dangers of “roasting” at award shows in general.

“I think it should be known for being a good comic,” Thompson said. “I mean, I’m not calling Chris a bad comedian, he just wasn’t aware of the situation, so it’s not fair to drag him into this conversation. But in general, people who get fried like that, you have to be smart, because you know, c “It’s a way to offend people, really, really. I don’t think insults necessarily get us anywhere as a society.”

In July, Smith posted a video of the apology online, but last weekend, during a cabaret show in London, Rock compared the recording to a “hostage video.” According to Thompson, this (literally) spectacular moment could be resolved quickly.

“I feel that the moment of the hug has stopped everything, do you understand what I mean?” Thompson said. “But it wasn’t that clear [Rock] I didn’t even know it was coming. Not in his wildest dreams would she have imagined that his friend of him for over 30 years would try something like this.

When he takes the stage at the Microsoft Theater on Monday night for the first Emmys return from the pandemic, Thompson plans to make sure everyone gets the joke and enjoys it.

“You know, I’m not going out there to hurt someone’s feelings because of others’ laughter,” he said. “We should all laugh together, even the person who is the joke.”

“It’s a great opportunity tonight, a lot of people are waiting to hear it,” added Thompson. His target of her, she says, will be “more the zeitgeist than what’s going on, maybe jokes on different shows or platforms. because it is larger than Famous person It has a moment because it is a room to complete famous people “.

Monday’s show will revert to the renewed vibe of last year’s “dinner”, only this time around, said executive producers Reginald “Reggie” Hudlin and Ian Stewart, who are returning for their third and fifth seasons, respectively. A much broader and more engaging scale.

They also announced that John Legend would perform his new song “Pieces” for the “In Memoriam” segment.

The three-hour live telecast will begin Monday September 12 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC and will also air on Peacock.