John Mulaney presented the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the recent Emmy Awards, but not before delivering an extended, and at times NSFW, commentary on contemporary masculinity.
Mulaney, a sober comedian, began his segment by joking about the category, calling it "for the guys. Just men being men. Finally, something for the fellas." He lauded the nominees as "a crop of prom kings" who are not "soft like the dad on ‘Bluey.’"
His monologue then delved into a historical overview of men's representation on television, humorously stating that for the first three years of TV's existence, "there were no men on it. It was just beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets." He suggested that it wasn't until "the early ’60s, until a man walked out and said, ‘Enough! My name is Fonzie and the president has been shot.’"
Referring to the nominees as "sweat hogs," Mulaney distinguished between method and "regular, less annoying acting," noting that all nominees "know all their lines" because they "started looking at their sides earlier that morning." He also pointed out the limited range of roles available to male actors, stating they can play "a cop, an FBI agent, or a secret agent. And then that’s it. No other examples."
The comedian then referenced DJ Khaled's 2018 public statement that he did not perform oral sex on his wife. Mulaney asserted that the nominated actors understand that such sentiments are "B.S." and that "there’s often less pressure on them if they do that first."
Concluding his bit, Mulaney read from Frank Vincent's 2007 book "A Guy’s Guide To Being a Man’s Man," which he reportedly borrowed from the Glendale library. The passage he cited stated, "A man’s man can be wearing the best clothes, drinking the finest wine, sitting with the most beautiful woman in Las Vegas, but if he doesn’t treat everyone around him with respect and class, he’s not a real man’s man. He’s just a jabroni in a good suit." Mulaney then announced the nominees for lead actor in a drama series.