The Amber Ruffin Show is a weekly late-night comedy show hosted by Amber Ruffin and assisted by her friend Tarik Davis. She makes jokes as she covers the news of the week, with a focus on her unique perspective as a black woman. It is in a similar style to shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers, probably because Amber also works for that show as a writer and occasional on-screen talent.
Tropes for the show include:
- Berserk Button: The segment "Being Mad Like It's 199[X]* is dedicated to Amber's habit of channeling her anger about current matters into a trivial event from the past, such as the rap verse of "Waterfalls" being removed for the radio edit.
- Black Comedy: The news is often very depressing but that doesn't stop Amber from joking about it.
- Catchphrase: Amber's opening monologue always starts with "You guys, it's been a crazy week in America. Let's! Find out! What happened!"
- Genki Girl: Amber's onscreen persona is nearly always bubbly and enthusiastic. When she takes on a more serious tone, it's a sign to the audience that something very important has happened.
- Impossibly Cool Clothes: Amber's fashion sense is top notch, always featuring bold, bright colors and a bowtie.
- It's a Wonderful Plot: Parodied in this sketch
, where an angel shows Amber how things would be if Donald Trump had never been born. Everything seems so much better than in real life, with the COVID-19 pandemic not having happened, Zendaya being president and Amber having a studio audience, and Amber and the angel keep waiting for some twist showing how it would actually be worse... which never comes, so they just quit. - I Reject Your Reality: Amber's recurring segment, "That Just Doesn't Exist", is dedicated to minor news stories that Amber simply can't process, leading her to act like they aren't happening:Amber: (sung) Some news gives me the blues,
Some news makes me feel pissed,
And some news is just so bad, baby, I pretend it doesn't exist! - Musical Episode: Amber will take almost any opportunity to break into song, often with Tarik's accompaniment.
- Soundtrack Lullaby: Amber occasionally closes out the show by singing a lullaby to the audience about a topical subject, such as the promise of getting the Covid vaccine or the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
