After four years of service and a grueling last-minute campaign for the presidency, former vice president Kamala Harris could probably use a vacation, or at least a relaxing date night with husband Doug Emhoff, who isn’t as wholesome as he seems. And while everyone unwinds in their own way, people felt like Harris’ Oscars date night with Emhoff couldn’t have been more dullsville if they’d tried. It lacked even more luster when compared to the posh outing Joe Biden and Jill Biden more recently enjoyed.

Advertisement

Last month, Emhoff and Harris shared how they planned to watch the 97th Academy Awards — and it only involved a bowl of chips. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Emhoff accidentally exposed his boring marriage to Harris with a pre-Oscars pic. He shared a snapshot of his wife pouring a bag of Doritos into a bowl. While that’s not exciting, Emhoff’s caption is even less thrilling: “Oscars watch party prep.” While it’s refreshing to see a celebrity couple not go all-out with an expensive shindig, it’s also just uninteresting. Plus, pouring pre-made chips into a bowl isn’t exactly preparing anything. “Looks like she made as much effort to prepare the snacks as she made to run for president,” one person tweeted.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Joe and Jill just had a fancy-schmancy date night in New York City for the opening of Broadway’s revival of Shakespeare’s “Othello.” The play — which can set audiences back a whopping $900+ per ticket — stars Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. The former president and first lady got all dolled up for the event, which was Joe’s first major public excursion since leaving the White House back in January.

Talk about contrasting date nights between the two couples! Assuming Joe Biden and Jill Biden had to pay for their seats (which, let’s be honest, they probably didn’t), they easily would’ve spent at least $1,800 for that night’s entertainment alone, not to mention however much cash they dropped for dinner and drinks if their evening didn’t end there. (But at least they saved some money on their outfits — Jill’s glittery dress was a repeat from the 2024 DNC). As for Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, they spent $0 to watch an award show on their couch.

Advertisement

Of course, wealth doesn’t make a great date night fun or memorable; the person you spend it with does. But it looks like the Bidens, whose marriage has had its strange moments, still had a much more entertaining time watching live theater and schmoozing with the stars backstage than Harris and Emhoff did chilling at home.

While “Othello” was Joe’s first big outing since President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day, it wasn’t the former first lady’s. Jill attended the 2025 Super Bowl and was all smiles without Joe, taking Hunter Biden as her plus one to the football game.