Comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco was the MTV VMA 2019 host, with a mixed reaction coming in from the viewers in the crowd and at home. Maniscalco, known for a different style of comedy, went right at the millennial crowd with his jokes.
While there was laughter and applause from a number of spectators, some also seemed displeased with his remarks.
Maniscalco jokes at VMA 2019 show about safe space, influencers
Some people are questioning Sebastian Maniscalco as VMA 2019 host choice. He offers a hard-hitting style of comedy that could be geared toward a slightly older audience. With the show taking place in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center, Maniscalco managed to get some cheers when he brought up the local NHL team, but several of his jokes may have missed the mark or come off as insensitive.
That included Maniscalco bringing up the idea of the sensitive times we’re living in and how MTV is providing a “safe space” backstage for those spectators who might be offended by him or any performers. He even brought popular artist Lil Nas X up, mentioning his horse was there as a “support animal.”
Check out a full five minutes of Sebastian Maniscalco’s opening monologue for the MTV awards show.
In the video, Maniscalco also touched upon the idea of influencers roaming about L.A. with their smartphones to record everything and how there are no participation trophies at the VMAs. He mentioned for those who didn’t win tonight to “work harder” for next time. Some of his remarks brought cheers and applause from those who agreed with his sentiments.
A quick search for “Sebastian Maniscalco” on Twitter brings up plenty of irritated individuals who were watching the show and didn’t care for his style. That said, it also has many viewers questioning who he even is.
Who is Sebastian Maniscalco and why was he VMA host?
For those wondering, Sebastian Maniscalco is best known by his fans as a standup comedian. The 46-year-old also has a Netflix special out now called Stay Hungry, which is one of several in his catalog.
In addition, Maniscalco has appeared in movie roles such as the award-winning Green Book. He’ll appear in the upcoming Netflix film, The Irishman, from Martin Scorcese. His hosting gig could very well be tied in with promotion for that film or his comedy specials. It’s also possible another host said “No” to the highly-voted opportunity.
Ironically, Maniscalco joked about viewers not knowing who he was as host of this year’s show.
Over the past few years, MTV has had plenty of comedians host their awards show, including Eddie Murphy, Roseanne Barr, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, and Russell Brand.
MTV has also let different hosts perform, including Katy Perry, Diddy, and Miley Cyrus. In 2004, the MTV Video Music Awards actually had no host for the first time in the history of the show. However, it seems a host helps keep some sort of format of events.
Most likely, Sebastian Maniscalco as VMA 2019 host won’t go down as one of their better choices based on the audience’s reactions. However, MTV has never been shy about having controversial individuals or moments in its history, especially during awards shows.