John Mulaney and Nick Kroll had a chance to give it their all before being upstaged by the Academy Awards by hosting the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards. After making fun of the awards show itself by ripping on how long the name is as well as the fact that it’s a matinee awards show, they wasted no time getting into politics. The two biggest targets of their opening monologue were none other than Donald Trump and Mel Gibson.
“We like to think of these awards as the ones without Mel Gibson,” Kroll said of the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge director. “People wondered: how long would it take Hollywood to forgive someone for anti-Semitic, racist hate speech?’ The answer: Eight years!” Mulaney added, “So look out for the 2024 Oscars, when the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award goes to Mr. Steve Bannon.” Kroll and Mulaney then bantered about how “sexy and hot” Bannon is. “He looks like if Nick Offerman drowned,” Kroll said.
When it came to Trump they held nothing back. “In terms of impact, you could give your speech directly to camera, or you can whisper it to yourself in the bathroom,” Mulaney said. Kroll cut in, “Speaking of bathrooms, President Trump rescinded rights for transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice this week, because transgender children in public schools have had it too good for too long.” Mulaney added, “Hey Trump, you and Robert Durst are both rich sociopaths from New York real estate empires, yet somehow Robert Durst is more likable.”
Check out the full monologue below:
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