This is not a full recap of last night’s Emmys, mostly because the people you expected to win actually did win, and that part of it was somewhat boring – Big Little Lies picked up a lot of awards, including Emmys for Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard, Best Director and Best Limited Series. The Handmaid’s Tale picked up Emmys for Best Actress in a Drama for Elisabeth Moss and Best Drama. Donald Glover became the first black man in Emmy history to win for Best Directing in a Comedy Series. Glover also picked up a Best Actor in a Comedy Emmy. Saturday Night Live picked up several Emmys, as did John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. You can read a more thorough recap here, and see the list of winners here.
Let’s talk about some of the big moments from the telecast, which surprisingly entertaining! In years past, the Emmys felt rather dry and boring, but host Stephen Colbert kept things moving really quickly, and the entire night felt… political and urgent and more. The opening number featured Colbert singing about treason and Nazis. “Even treason’s better on TV” is a great line. Colbert also burned Donald Trump so many times in the opening monologue: “Hello, sir. Thank you for joining us. Looking forward to the tweets!” and “Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” Oh, and the Bill Maher slam: “I assume he’s black since he’s so comfortable using the N-word.”
For hours last night, people were freaking out about the Sean Spicer cameo in the opening:
.@seanspicer borrows @melissamccarthy's podium for a surprise appearance at the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/xGOezHygVa
— Variety (@Variety) September 18, 2017
Was this funny? Or was it gross? I didn’t laugh, because I was shocked that Spicer had the audacity to go up there and try to show some self-awareness and it just felt so awkward because he’s not a self-aware person. The political peeps on Twitter were like “Spicer is trash and he doesn’t deserve an opportunity to whitewash his time working for Donald Trump.” I mean, this is a guy who openly lied to the press and said anti-Semitic sh-t from the podium of the White House. He doesn’t belong at the Emmys.
Colbert obviously wasn’t the only person getting political last night. When Kate McKinnon picked up her second Emmy for the second year in a row, she once again thanked Hillary Clinton for her “grace and grit.” When Donald Glover won Best Comedy Actor, he said: “I want to thank Trump for making black people #1 on the most oppressed list. He’s the reason I’m probably up here.” When Lena Waithe won for co-writing Master of None with Aziz Ansari, she became the first African-American woman to win for Comedy Writing, and her speech was woke and inclusive too:
Awesome message from Lena Waithe during her #Emmys acceptance speech. #Emmys2017 #EmmyAwards pic.twitter.com/Ln1sKck8Xt
— Josh Sánchez (@jnsanchez) September 18, 2017
A few more videos – here’s Issa Rae telling someone on the red carpet that she’s rooting for all of the black people.
"I'm rooting for everybody black!" #Insecure star @IssaRae says on the red carpet #Emmys pic.twitter.com/Pz3DJPyJc2
— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2017
Colbert chatting with “Emmy” as played by RuPaul.
And finally, John Oliver had the best speech – he thanked Oprah and he got #DCPublicSchools trending on Twitter after Chappelle gave a shout out to his school district for helping him be able to read the TelePrompter.
John Oliver: "I'd like to thank Oprah because she's sitting right there and it feels inappropriate not to" https://t.co/wvJkc1TOJl #Emmys pic.twitter.com/2k92kdOqNb
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 18, 2017
Photos courtesy of WENN/CBS.
Ya, no the Spicer appearance is text book definition of ” too soon”!! We’re not ready to lauph with you Sean, wait a decade…
It was amusing but very 0-100. Spicer hasn’t explained himself yet. There’s been no mea culpa. So I get that people weren’t feeling it.
On the bright side it absolutely was a Trump burn from an ex-staffer. So that’s something.
This is exactly right. He can’t expect forgiveness for something he hasn’t yet been willing to admit. Definitely too soon. But I agree that Trump being irritated is a bonus.
I agree. We still cannot forgive him for lying to the American people on behalf of Agent Orange. Spicer lied his ass off to cover up DT’s disgusting acts of swine. Hell no, we do not forgive Spicer yet, when DT gets impeached then perhaps we will consider laughing at all of the nonsensical crap Spicy said during his tenure at the White House. Till then Sean you rot in hell.
But wasn’t he basically admitting he lied? that was a sick burn on Trump’s obsesion with crowd size and he (Spicer) was basically saying: “This was ridiculous and they made me lie” I don’t know, it was such a shock and I could not believe Colbert got him to do it. Melissa M. was NOT amused, I’ll give you that.
Exactly Diana B. I thought it was hilarious because everyone knows Spicer got forced out to utter the words about crowd size. Much like I won’t criticize how women deal with an abusive husband, I won’t criticize Spicer for trying to survive under an abusive boss. I’m sure the book is forthcoming, but the fact that Spicer came out as part of the joke – that was a burn of epic proportions to Trump and I loved it.
Abused women don’t decide to be abused. Spicer accepted a job from a guy who’s known to be a racist, stupid bully despite having plenty of other options.
Not a fair comparison at all.
I’ll never be ready. Do not normalize Sean Spicer. He needs to disappear like a bad footnote.
Amen!! This is what happens – we normalize these monsters.
RE: Trump tweeted yesterday about a golf ball hitting Hillary, and most people shrugged
HE was the one making the Hitler didn’t gas his own people comments. This is not an ok guy
Agree!!! Nowhere near ready to give him a pass and normalize him. I saw him on Kimmel last week and there is ZERO “repentance”. He is totally still a Republican through and through and in defense mode of Orange Hitler. So FUG you, Sean Spicer.
Yea no it was gross. Not funny at all.
Like stop normalizing the horrible things these people do. The mooch was not “cute” or “funny” he was awful. Spicer was awful.
You can call the sketches funny but not the actual people. This was such a miss and also why we continue to not be able to hold these people accountable for the damage they do
I AGREE. I still don’t understand why the F he wasn’t resoundingly and instantly booed off the stage. What the heck was funny about his little appearance? I’m disgusted.
Yeah, it was a terrible idea. I also can’t believe he wasn’t booed.
I can. Because Hollywood routinely does crap like this because glass houses. Its such a disconnect. Heck the reporting on here has called the mooch “funny”. For a lot of people there is nothing to laugh at
Spicer willingly spread damaging evil propaganda. He will never get a pass. Liar, without conscience. He doesn’t get to be normalised.
His boss didn’t ‘force’ him to do it. A man of honour and integrity would have resigned. We enable such a culture of victimhood.
Conversely loved the RuPaul bit as she and Colbert are timeless….
Me, too. Brilliant.
Rupaul is not a “she”. He is a drag queen and identifies as a man like most drag Queens who are biologically male.
So happy Black Mirror San Junipero won!
As Ive read elsewhere and I totally agree with it. Sean Spicer LIED to the American people for months, is complicit in the most corrupt and disgusting administration in recent memory and if he hadnt been fired he’d probably still be there doing it, he should not be given a platform like this where he’s allowed to joke and make light.
I wish they’d booed the shit out him
What annoys me is my conservative family on fb think it’s just fine for Steve Bannon to do 60 minutes and Sean Spicer to make this cameo, but God forbid Hillary writes a book and does a press tour about it. Never mind that she is such an intelligent and articulate person. So nope Sean, you are trying to whitewash yourself and I haven’t heard an apology to the American people for your lies yet. Not funny.
I really enjoyed the program, lots of funny bits, I think Colbert did a great job and I love that he and producers included bits with most of the other late night hosts.
My one qualm… after seeing the nominees for drama series, actor, writing, directing, etc I am even more annoyed about The Leftovers not being nominated. House of Cards felt like the Modern Family of the nominees and some shows had two nominations for episodes. Come on Emmy people!
But was thrilled Anne Dowd won.
Sorry, but Spicer is still lying and defending his fascist boss. Why anyone thought this was a good idea, I will never know.
Quit trying to normalize a Nazi apologist. Spicer didn’t stop working for 45 formally until the end of August-that isn’t someone who was uncomfortable with what he saw and heard. Unfunny and a stupid move. They made themselves look weak and foolish.
I hated the Spicer bit. I think Melissa Mccarthy’s face summed it up. I am really dissapointed in Colbert right now, I expected mich better judgement from him. Unless this was an attempt at some meta-joke when it is a joke on people like Spicer who will say anyting and not blink when they are asked to or when they can benefit from it.
Yeah- SS is gross, but I love that drumpf will hate his mocking/disloyalty & Colbert’s SS callback was way harsh (of course, he deserves the harshest) to the orange monster as was other stuff. The opening number was AWESOME- wish The Americans could have won something, too SS was on Kimmel a couple of days ago, but I didn’t see it…guess it didn’t make people “buzz”?
Yeah. Same. It’s not funny that he participated in attacking the press and lying to the American people. He should have been booed off stage. Or even better he shouldn’t have been there period.
The only thing that makes me feel a little better is that I got the impression they were laughing *at* him, not with him, and he seems to get that at the end when Colbert calls him Melissa. I would still rather he not be there but if he was, I hope he took a hit.
RIGHT?! Hillary Clinton, lifelong politician, former first lady, secretary of state and winner of the popular vote for the presidency writes a memior and people act like she’s the goddamn devil who needs to go back to the hell from which she came, never to be heard from or seen again. yet sean spicer, failed PR person who cashed in his morality and only quit the job because he didn’t get promoted, despite being subject to daily humilation by his boss and the press, gets to go on the emmy’s and yuck it up with the beautiful people? excuse me – but – fuck off whoever at the emmy’s thought that shit was a good idea. i wish people would have walked out.
Ugh spicer trying to play like he’s in on the joke-when really he was super pissed about the bit at the time and said so.
These people are not cute-stop with trying to normalize them. I’m so disappointed he didn’t get booed immediately.
Hated seeing Spicer’s mug and being applauded. Loved the speeches last night. Major shout out to the Emmy’s for giving awards to John Oliver and his show. I view it as a documentary with jokes as a bonus. He shines the light on evil hiding in shadows.
I was so happy John Oliver won! his show is outstanding.
Well, it didn’t take long for SS to glom on to his ‘celebrity’. Gotta try to extend that 15 minutes of infamy.
What is wrong with the press? Spicer stood at the WH podium and told lie after lie, he even helped to facilitate the lie that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower, and now the press is rewarding him with appearances on the Emmys, cover stories about his visit to see the Pope, and late night visits on Jimmy Kimmel? This is very disappointing. We are counting on the press, and they keep failing us. This need of the press to normalize is what got us the The King of Lies and Fake News. It is disappointing that the press is normalizing Spicer. Where is the accountability for all the lies he told?
Let’s not forget that a week after Spicer resigned, it was revealed that Spicer had met with someone from FN to help create a fake story about Hillary. Someone from FN and Spicer tried to claim that the leaks came from SR, a Democrat aide, who Hiilary had killed, not Trump and the Russians. Instead of keeping this story front page, here we have the press rewarding Spicer.
They are also normalizing other figures, like Nikki Haley. She has no clue what she is doing and is very complicit.
It’s not cute or clever to let Sean Spicer rehab his image by making a funny “joke” about how he lied to the American people on behalf of the President. Ha, ha, our democracy is in danger. What a lighthearted hoot!
This isn’t “Jeb!” making a joke at his own expense at the Oscars, which was really funny AND a great way to integrate some right-wing political humor into a traditionally liberal crowd. Nope, this is getting a laugh at the expense of truth and fairness, and excusing Spicer’s deplorable behavior. This it’s-all-just-entertainment excuse is kind of how we got Trump in the first place so, yeah, I wasn’t laughing. (I’m also not amused by Spicer’s Harvard fellowship, these falling up Trump admin losers are the definition of white friggin’ privilege and I’m sooo over it.)
Also, RE: Big Little Lies, you forgot about Laura Dern, who I was so happy for, because I really think she killed it (no pun intended) as Renata, imbibing an incredibly unlikable character with great heart.
Lastly, Issa Rae, you go. She looked amazing — she was my best-dressed — and, you know what, in an industry where we’re still having constant firsts by people of color in 20-freaking-17, then, yeah, I’M rooting for all the black people, too. And to all of the ignorant asses who claim “that’s racism” A) that word doesn’t mean what you think it means and B) simmer down and take all the seats, cause your faux outrage over your non-oppression is just ignorance on parade.
Ditto on Dern. She’s always great, but she really made Renata fascinating and complex.
I also agree about Spicer. I can see why the Emmy producers or whoever thought it was a good idea, shock value and getting people to talk and all, but…no. He contributed greatly to the shitshow that is our federal government at the moment, so no, I don’t want to see him trying to laugh about it and pretend he wasn’t part of the incredibly damaging problem. The only good thing about it was Anna Chlumsky’s reaction.
“S” I wanna kiss you right now! Well said!
Spicer can go jump in a lake! It was a terrible mistake of the corporate media overlords to normalize him in this way. I think Colbert should have refused to appear if Spicer was included. I am disappointed in him for being a part of this. People with influence have to stand up against this cynical relativity, and not merely make jokes. Spicer is the cheerful face of authoritarianism. I am 100% opposed to his appearance.
“Cheerful face of authoritarianism” is perfect … Especially for last night. Not sure Spicer was ever cheerful from the White House podium.
Had Spicer been doing the circuit and been contrite and forthright about his lying, if nothing else, than this maybe works, as is, when he’s still at least publicly loyal to Trump, with zero accountability or admission of all the harm he did? No. Nope. Nada.
I wonder if Spicer’s counsel signed off on this – I was under the impression he’s going to be called as a witness by Mueller.
Confession: I would have loved to have seen the Mooch participate.
Terrible idea, really f*cking unfunny. I can’t believe that people are trying to minimize Spicer or anyone else (either formerly or currently) from this administration.
Glad I didn’t bother watching.
And what about predator creep Roger Ailes being included in the Memorium section? Gross.
Yeah I wondered how many women he had harassed had to sit there and see that. Disgusting.
Ugh absolutely terrible with Spicer. Not funny, not cool, he should be banned.
I was disgusted Sean got the platform to show off how he lied for the so-called president. i heard a conservative say lying was part of the job. Lying is NOT part of the job of being press secretary … spin, yes to a point, but lying NOT AT ALL and should never be normalized or accepted.
I was grossed out by the Spicer bit. None of the Deplorables, past or present, should be celebrated or normalized. I hope that the backlash about this makes this clear!
“Spicer is trash and he doesn’t deserve an opportunity to whitewash his time working for Donald Trump.” I mean, this is a guy who openly lied to the press and said anti-Semitic sh-t from the podium of the White House. He doesn’t belong at the Emmys.” – ALL OF THIS IS CORRECT! I’m totally pissed that those so called “woke liberals” in Hollyweird allowed this fool to show up and be lauded! Screw the EMMYS for this, I’ll never watch again. Hypocrisy in the name of ratings/comedy is never acceptable. (steps off of soap box)
Not complitely on topic but can someone explain to me why GOT was not nominated this year?
It’s being reported that the FBI was wiretapping Paul Manafort. Now the Russian bots are very busy posting that The King of Lies and Fake News was right. Remember the King of Lies and Fake News said that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower and this month the DOJ confirmed that Obama didn’t have Trump Tower wiretapped. The FISA warrant targeted Manafort and started in 2014.
Have Schumer and Pelosi condemned The King of Lies and Fake News for retweeting the meme hitting Hillary with the golf ball? Senator Feinstein did. It’s interesting how making deals with The King of Lies and Fake News has changed Schumer and Pelosi. Before the “deal” they would have spoken out on what The King of Lies and Fake News. It’s like Pelosi and Schumer have sold their souls. Immigration protesters showed up during Pelosi’s speech today. Even they are uncertain about this deal that Pelosi and Schumer made with The King of Lies and Fake News.