Seth Meyers and “Late Night” had a new “Closer Look” segment on Wednesday night as usual, but even the host himself thought it was pretty funny to do so, considering who his guest for the night was.
Taylor Swift appeared on the NBC talk show for a “TAY/kover” in support of her new album “The Life of a Showgirl” this week, and was Meyers’ only guest on Wednesday. Even so, “Late Night” went about its format as usual, including having “A Closer Look” before Swift came out.
“It’s time to get to the part of the show you’ve all been waiting for, the reason everyone’s here tonight,” Meyers said jokingly to tee up the segment. “That’s right, politics!”
The joke earned a hearty cheer from the crowd who was, of course, largely there to see Swift. Meyers knew that, so he joked even further.
“If you’re watching at home, you may not know this, but we have an entire audience of ‘Closer Look’ super fans here tonight,” he said with a chuckle. “This is really cool, someone gave me a friendship bracelet that says, ‘A Closer Look.’ A bunch of people came dressed like me from my different eras, like my ‘man at desk telling joke’ era, and that’s my only one.”
“Anyway, the point is, we’re gonna talk about the topic you all know and love. That’s right, the government shutdown,” he continued. “We’ll be quick about it!”
Indeed, Meyers then devoted the entirety of “A Closer Look” to discussing the impact of the shutdown on airports. But he did manage to sneak in one more Swift reference.
“A government shutdown affects everything, from the health department to the Department of Education, to the tortured poets department,” Meyers joked, referring to the title of Swift’s 11th studio album. “I know, I know, that’s pandering. I just want to keep you guys interested!”
You can watch Seth Meyers’ full “A Closer Look” segment in the video above.
