Late Night Last Week: Tiffany Haddish Guest Hosts Kimmel

Each week, Late Night Last Week highlights some of the best late night TV from the previous week. This week, we cover Tiffany Haddish’s stint as the guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! And a new web exclusive from John Oliver.

We are deep in the dog days of late night summer. All was quiet last week on NBC and CBS. John Oliver is not set to return until September 7. After a long break, Jon Stewart and The Daily Show team will attempt to restore our sanity the following evening.

Thus, the airwaves of late night television last week were left fully to the team over at Jimmy Kimmel Live! The program featured its final guest host of the summer, Tiffany Haddish, who wasted no time mobilizing the nation’s airwaves to announce that she, in fact, was running for president.

A Haddish presidency would prioritize many things: Subway stores will have to offer pastrami sandwiches, credit scores will be listed on dating apps, taxes will be paid with old gift cards, elevator small talk will be banned.

“I will make it a crime to show-up on time to a dinner party,” Haddish promised. “Who in the hell is walking into my house at 6 o’clock for a 6 o’clock dinner? White people, that’s who.”

Seems like a platform we can all get behind.

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While Haddish has proven herself an able guest host and interviewer, one of the best conversations of the week did not feature a celebrity, but three of her childhood best friends: Selena Martin, Sparkle Clark, and Shermona Long. The trio joined to discuss the host’s new show, Tiffany Haddish Goes Off, in which the four friends travel to Africa together.

“I remember growing up, as kids, I used to always say, ‘One day we’re going to go to Africa ya’ll,” Haddish said. “And I feel like ya’ll didn’t believe it.”

The four friends also discussed their time at school and early memories of each other, including Tiffany’s imaginary friend, Cracker, a parrot she used to pretend was perched on her shoulder. Haddish admitted she used the imaginary parrot to sneak a peek at her classmates’ math tests.

On her last day hosting, Haddish chatted with a late night veteran, former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams, who is racking up Emmy nominations for her work on the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking. Williams talked about discovering the news while lying in her bed with her partner, sitting in silence as they waited for the announcement. Haddish admitted that she voted for Williams and predicted she would win.

“Everybody better vote for her!” Haddish declared into the camera.

Williams also opened-up about working on the show with Harrison Ford. When she found out he would be joining the cast, Williams remembered, she literally fist pumped. She described how the two have developed a special working relationship, including an emotional scene they filmed for the show’s upcoming third season.

“It was like watching the sun rise,” she said of witnessing Ford’s performance. “You’re watching the beautiful work of someone, so nuanced and so tender. He’s fiery but he also has this soft tenderness.”

For the viewer, it was sweet to listen to Williams describe her partner. But Haddish quickly picked up on something else.

“Wow!” Haddish declared. “Did ya’ll find out ya’ll was both nominated for an Emmy in the bed together?!”

“I mean, he’s gorgeous,” Williams said.

Now, we end with John Oliver. While the host and crew of Last Week Tonight were technically off last week, they did find the time to upload a web-exclusive monologue to their YouTube page. A grateful nation cheers.

Oliver tackled the timeless subject of Mike Lindell, better known as the MyPillow guy and one of America’s leading election conspiracy theorists. Specifically, Oliver discussed MyStore, Lindell’s zany version of an Amazon marketplace, where he sells everything from sketchy health products to tubs of honey made to resemble Donald Trump. They also sell fire extinguishers with unique, decorative designs.

“Everyone knows that when your kitchen is on fire, there’s just nothing more calming than figuring out which of your weird, patterned bottles is actually life-saving,” Oliver observed.

Oliver’s favorite item? A dog toy scented like a dog’s behind. Oliver was quick to praise the creator, who took the time to not only make the toy, but also conduct research to see whether the toy is, in fact, safe.

“I suppose it’s helpful that they volunteered that information,” Oliver said. “Because when purchasing a butthole-flavored sack for my dog, or whatever, I’m not sure I would have thought to ask—and my dog’s a dachshund—is this amount of stink medically lethal?”

So, why does this matter? Why the focus on Mike Lindell? Oliver had a characteristically thoughtful answer.

“He’s the manifestation of the American Dream,” Oliver said. “That someone can overcome drug pull problems, pull himself up by his bootstraps, and undermine confidence in a national election, all while hawking some of the worst pillows in the history of humanity.”

God bless the USA.

Will DiGravio is a Brooklyn-based critic, researcher, and late night comedy columnist, who first contributed to Paste in 2022. He is an assistant editor at Cineaste, a GALECA member, and since 2019 has hosted The Video Essay Podcast. You can follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter and learn more about him via his website.

Late Night Last Week: Tiffany Haddish Guest Hosts Kimmel as John Oliver Pokes Fun at Mike Lindell