Seth Meyers on Wednesday dedicated his entire “Closer Look” segment — or “Closer Lick” as he lightheartedly renamed it — to mercilessly mocking himself over an awkward moment alongside President Joe Biden.
Meyers became international news earlier this week when Biden expressed his hope for an imminent cease-fire in Gaza just as the pair ate ice cream after taping an interview on the 10th anniversary of Meyers’ “Late Night” show.
As Biden broke the news to reporters, the camera panned out to show Meyers in what appeared to be deep in thought. The footage has gone viral.
“Never before in my life has the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ music been louder in my head than during this moment,” Meyers joked on Wednesday.
“The worst part of that clip was when the camera panned back to me holding my fucking ice cream. There’s nowhere to put it!” he continued. “The whole time I was watching that, I was thinking to myself, ‘Please stay on Biden, please stay on Biden, please stay on Biden. Oh, Goddamit.’”
“I couldn’t get caught looking into the lens,” the comedian added. “I already felt like I was in an episode on ‘Curb’ and ‘Veep.’ I didn’t want to do a Jim Halpert look into the camera too.”
Meyers called out conservative criticism of Biden talking about the Israel-Hamas war with ice cream in hand.
Fox News host Jeanine Pirro likened Biden to Tom Hanks’ iconic character Forrest Gump. Meyers disagreed. “Biden is not Forrest Gump in that situation. I am!” he said. “I’m the one standing next to a world leader, not knowing why I’m here, wishing I was playing ping pong. He not the Gump, I the Gump!”
Meyers added, “By the way, I agree it’s not ideal to make serious announcements while eating ice cream, but in fairness, he was already eating ice cream, and then they asked him the question.”
Watch the full video here:
