In case you missed it, the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards
aired this Sunday night - packed full of laughs, cringe-worthy moments, and all
the emotional acceptance speeches you would expect from the television
spectacle of the season. While host Jimmy Kimmel gave a passable night of
zingers (save for a Bill Cosby appearance fake-out. Really, Jimmy?), the true
heroes of the night were the always-amazing women of comedy!
Before the show even began, Amy Schumer graced the red
carpet with ever-honest hilarity. When Giuliana Rancid of E! News asked
the classically boring “Who are you wearing?”
Schumer took no hesitation in responding “Vivienne Westwood
[dress], Tom Ford shoes, and an O.B. tampon.” Thanks for keeping
it real, Amy!
The first big win for funny females went to the talented and
lovely Kate McKinnon - for Best Supporting Actress for her work
on Saturday Night Live. After being nominated in the same category for
both 2014 and 2015, this is Kate’s first Emmy win - and deservedly so.
McKinnon has been entertaining us for the past several years with her on-point
impressions of Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, and now presidential candidate
Hillary Clinton. Jokes aside, it was an emotional win for McKinnon, who ended
her acceptance speech by thanking her late father for introducing her to SNL
when she was 12 years old. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler looked like proud parents
as they watched from afar.
Kate McKinnon’s good friend and SNL
co-worker, Leslie Jones, also took to the stage for a few good laughs.
During the annual explanation of how the award results are safeguarded until
the envelops are opened on stage, Leslie interrupted to point out there are
more important things that need protecting - in reference to her website
and twitter accounts which were hacked earlier this year, and the racist
harassment she has endured. “Y’all
over here using your skills to protect best voiceover in a French sitcom,” Jones
quipped, “Meanwhile, I’m butt-naked on CNN. I just wanted to
feel beautiful, y’all! Can a sister
feel beautiful?” Leslie received a round of applause
for her incredibly hilarious and tastefully done joke that shed some light on
the harassment twitter users face everyday.
The next big win for women was for Best Directing in a Comedy
Series - which went to the amazingly bad-ass Jill Soloway for her
work on Amazon’s Transparent, in a category that has traditionally
gone to the men of the industry. Soloway also historically won Best Directing
at last year’s Emmy’s, but that didn’t
stop her from delivering another unforgettable speech. “I’ve always wanted to be part of a movement…[and] this
TV show allows me to take my dreams about unlikable Jewish people, queer folk,
trans folk, and make them heroes. Thank you to the trans community for your
lived lives.” Jill also ended her speech in the most feminist way
possible - by reminding the audience and viewers to “topple the
patriarchy.” Will do, Jill!
To top off the night, the Best Actress in a Comedy Series was
chalk full of incredibly talented and funny women - Ellie Kemper, Amy
Schumer, Lily Tomlin, oh my! But it came to nobody’s
surprise when Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for her role as Selina Meyer in
the political satire Veep. This is the comedic legend’s
9th Emmy win and 22nd overall nomination, but whose counting? Julia took the
time to apologize for tearing down the wall between comedy and politics, as
well as blurring the line between fiction and reality. “Our show started
out as a political satire, but now it feels more like a sobering documentary,” said
Louis-Dreyfus, in reference the campaign of presidential nominee Donald Trump, “I
certainly do promise to rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it.” Julia
closed her acceptance by dedicating her award to her father, who passed away
last Friday at the age of 84. She was “so glad he liked Veep, because
his opinion was the one that really mattered.” Congratulations
Julia, and our hearts are with you and your family.
That about wraps up the night for these comedic women of
television - we can’t wait to see what they bring to the
table next year at the 69th Emmy Awards!
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