The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards were last night! That means they’ve had 73 years to get this right. Instead they did the same show they always do. There was fashion! There were overlong speeches. There were bad presenter jokes. There was Rita Wilson rapping. There was Aidy Bryant dressed like Heidi. There was Angela Bassett wearing a giant question mark, and she was right, because why? Why can’t they ever get an award show right?
Angela Bassett, the highest paid woman of color in broadcast TV history, came to slay, per usual! #Emmys #BlackDontCrack pic.twitter.com/lVIw9tku65
— Madam Vice President Harris is GOAT! (@flywithkamala) September 19, 2021
Cedric the Entertainer started things off with some energy. RIP Biz Markie.
Cedric the Entertainer opened the 2021 #Emmys by leading the audience in a cover of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend" https://t.co/mylLjNJVeT
— billboard (@billboard) September 20, 2021
Then came the Ted Lasso awards. Hannah Waddingham won for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy and looked like a Greek goddess. Hold up, is Hannah Waddingham actually a Greek goddess? It would explain so much.
HANNAH you did it!!!!! Congratulations on your #EMMY WIN!! A honor to create this gown for you! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 @hanwaddingham pic.twitter.com/yxvGQA3VPm
— Christian Siriano (@CSiriano) September 20, 2021
Everyone’s favorite curmudgeon, Roy Kent, took home the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. I mean, it was Brett Goldstein, and his accent was wrong and he seemed happy. But he swore like Roy Kent, so I’m sticking with calling him Roy and imagining that Roy Fucking Kent was forced to give an Emmy acceptance speech.
brett goldstein’s uncensored #emmy acceptance speech <3 pic.twitter.com/pbUtisCDyM
— krisna (@thlonelyisland) September 20, 2021
Julianne Nicholson is a treasure and she won her first Emmy for Mare of Easttown.
Julianne Nicholson wins her first #Emmys award, for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series for her performance in HBO's #MareofEasttown
All of tonight's winners: https://t.co/VF6dkm1jwM pic.twitter.com/xgDkqzn8Mw
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 20, 2021
I don’t watch The Neighborhood, but now I extra don’t watch The Neighborhood thanks to the obnoxious commercial-disguised-as-a-skit in the middle of the Emmys broadcast.
Stephen Colbert did an elaborate–and honestly not that funny–joke conflating the California recall election and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. But then he awarded the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama to Gillian Anderson, so I forgive him.
Gillian Anderson's high school classmates voted her both "Most Bizarre" and "Most Likely to Be Arrested." #Emmys pic.twitter.com/ribJoBTcrx
— Mental Floss (@mental_floss) September 20, 2021
Kerry Washington offered a heartfelt tribute to Michael K. Williams. And then she had to present the award he was nominated for to somebody else. Look, who doesn’t love Tobias Menzies? But still. It was awkward and painful. Maybe they should’ve done the tribute at a different point in the show?
Writer Chrissy Shackelford from John Oliver’s show said “hottest writers” is an oxymoron and speaking for every writer in America…yes.
Kaley Cuoco’s dress hurt my eyes.
A neon dream. 💚 Kaley Cuoco is absolutely glowing on the #Emmys red carpet. pic.twitter.com/Vy1sTc7eNL
— E! News (@enews) September 19, 2021
Ken Jeong was introduced and then did not appear. Later he showed up outside in a skit about ivermectin and vaccine cards, and that’s where he announced SNL’s win for Best Sketch show. This bit did not land, so instead let’s look at Kenan Thompson’s pink suit.
On Sundays we wear pink according to @kenanthompson!
📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/kFwJbnUcQP— Bossip (@Bossip) September 19, 2021
And also Bowen Yang’s amazing shoes!
Okay, Bowen Yang’s shoes are epic #EMMYs pic.twitter.com/sljFVyJ3RP
— The Cut (@TheCut) September 19, 2021
The cast of Schitt’s Creek came out to present and Dan Levy said there was nothing on the teleprompter. They’re all such good actors that this bit almost works!
SCHITT’S CREEK CAST PRESENTING AT THE #EMMYS pic.twitter.com/hUXU4Fm8gO
— véro // ✿ (@vlovesemma) September 20, 2021
The Best Comedy Writing award went to Hacks and not Ted Lasso. These writers are cute, but… what? I thought Ted Lasso was supposed to win everything.
Then Lucia Aniello, my new best friend, gave a great acceptance speech–and followed it up with a second win, this one for directing Hacks! I have literally never heard of this show and was ready to be all “Ted Lasso was robbed!” But I really like her, and her speech was about lifting up women, and her dress was so pretty, and she just got married last weekend, so… sorry, Ted Lasso writers! I’ve moved on.
Emmys: ‘Hacks’ Co-Creator Lucia Aniello Reveals Marriage to Paul W. Downs During Acceptance Speech https://t.co/sY9rVUoRfU
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 20, 2021
The No Emmy Support Group skit was mildly amusing. It’s always nice to see Scott Bakula. Jason Alexander reminded us all that he was nominated eight times and never won. The best part of the sketch was when Fred Savage interrupted the conversation from behind the camera as the director. The worst was when Dr. Phil appeared.
Jean Smart, nominated for both drama and comedy, won for comedy with Hacks, and obviously I need to watch this show immediately because it’s winning everything. She paid tribute to her late husband, Richard Gilliland, and she is just an icon.
With her #Hacks win, Jean Smart joins Betty White as the only two actresses to win guest, supporting, and lead comedy #Emmys. https://t.co/TTlGS9mL4q
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) September 20, 2021
Speaking of icons, Jennifer Coolidge! She made fun of men in general, and then gave the Best Actor in a Comedy award to Jason Sudeikis, as we all expected. But he deserved it, and his digs at Lorne Michaels made Kenan Thompson guffaw.
#TedLasso star Jason Sudeikis won his first Emmy tonight and he hilariously called out SNL's Lorne Michaels during his speech https://t.co/7GzUoGFUpi
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) September 20, 2021
Conan O’Brien made a scene by overcheering for the Academy president, and given the poor guy’s trouble getting through his earnest speech without laughing, we can assume Conan’s antics continued throughout. He also showed up onstage to help accept the Emmy for Colbert’s show, which he is not a writer on. Oh, Conan. Never change.
These #Emmys bits have been so relentlessly unfunny, Conan O'Brien had to take matters into his own hands and create his own. pic.twitter.com/AOQYb09024
— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) September 20, 2021
Debbie Allen got the Governor’s Award and it’s about damn time.
Debbie Allen has received the Governors Award at this year’s #Emmys!
She is the first Black woman to receive the award. #Emmys2021 pic.twitter.com/SzcFOU0vYP
— Geeks of Color #BlackLivesMatter (@GeeksOfColor) September 20, 2021
The cast of Reservation Dogs looked gorgeous and said important things about representation and everyone should be watching this show.
Oklahoma represent! So very very awesome to see everyone from Reservation Dogs on stage at the Emmys! pic.twitter.com/6JdYbfswZG
— Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM) September 20, 2021
Michaela Coel won for writing and spoke to writers and dedicated her award to sexual abuse survivors and she’s incredible in every way but her dress also hurt my eyes.
EMMY AWARD WINNER MICHAELA COEL EVERYONE SAY IT NOW #Emmys pic.twitter.com/vrgJzc45jy
— Nora Dominick (@noradominick) September 20, 2021
Is it wrong that I’m getting sick of Kate Winslet’s acceptance speeches?
Olivia Colman, though, never gets old. Her acceptance speech for Best Actress managed to be both funny and touching.
Olivia Colman’s #Emmys acceptance speech was an emotional rollercoaster that included tears and an uncensored F-bomb. #Emmys2021 #emmy pic.twitter.com/VHx5y9L07T
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) September 20, 2021
Presenter Amy Poehler spoke for us all when she asked “What time is it? And how do we get out of here?”
Well, we can’t, not until they do the In Memoriam section. I have some kind of weird love for in memoriams. There are always people I forgot we lost, and then I get to remember and feel sad all over again, and it kind of seems like a tribute to those people to feel a second wave of sadness. Anyway, when did you start crying? Alex Trebek is what did it for me.
There’s not much more to say. This show was pretty bad, even by Emmy standards. Let’s just look at more men playing with fashion.
Seth Rogan
Am I the only one who did not recognize Seth Rogan ?? 🤨 #Emmys #Emmys2021 pic.twitter.com/Q3EPk8MEZY
— HEAT (@heatagency_) September 20, 2021
Dan Levy
Dan Levy in Valentino Couture at the #Emmys 💙 #LisLove pic.twitter.com/SgjPHKCRE5
— Lis Lopes (@lislopees1) September 20, 2021
Jason Sudeikis
#TedLasso star Jason Sudeikis looks dapper in a velvet tux at the #Emmys. https://t.co/p20zlYf3LC pic.twitter.com/MagcNNQDZ5
— Variety (@Variety) September 19, 2021
Billy Porter
Billy Porter always brings IT #EMMYs pic.twitter.com/mzUEx8ze1f
— The Cut (@TheCut) September 19, 2021
Anthony Anderson
Now this is a jacket @anthonyanderson!!
.
.
.#Emmys2021
📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/d0t6jhS3sl— Bossip (@Bossip) September 19, 2021
Coach Beard (like Roy Kent, I’m leaving Brendan Hunt in character and imagining Beard at the Emmys)
Coach Beard came to play. #Emmys pic.twitter.com/Lht94GUxLM
— Gennefer Ghouls (@Gennefer) September 19, 2021
Carl Clemons-Hopkins*
#Hacks star Carl Clemons-Hopkins rocks a bold look at the #Emmys. https://t.co/p20zlYf3LC pic.twitter.com/KroTyoDfxh
— Variety (@Variety) September 19, 2021
Better luck next year, Emmy Awards! 74th time is the charm!
*Identifies as queer/non-binary and their pronouns are they/he.
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