On Emmy night, Quinta Brunson’s history-making win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series was marked (not marred because she’s unfazed and moving on to bigger/better) by Jimmy Kimmel’s dumb, unfunny “bit.” He was criticized, he apologized on his show (after having her “crash” his monologue) and she graciously accepted and managed to gently roast him a little. I thought she was too nice to him, but understood why she had to be and rising above is probably easier when you’re solidly winning. But Quinta’s costar, the also history-making/newly-minted Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, didn’t have to be so nice to him. Sheryl straight up told Jimmy to his face that he disrespected Quinta and she told us all that she did so.
Sheryl Lee Ralph captivated viewers during the Emmys on Monday, when she won her first trophy, for supporting actress in a comedy for her work on Abbott Elementary, after decades in show business. Only the second Black woman to win in the category, she delivered a rousing speech in the form of… a song!
Ralph felt less jubilant as she watched Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of Abbott Elementary, accept the honor for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series — the second Black woman to win in that category. Only it had nothing to do with Brunson; her feelings were about Jimmy Kimmel, as the late-night host laid on the stage near the podium while Brunson delivered her speech, as part of a bit that didn’t go over so well.
“I was absolutely confused,” Ralph said Wednesday during a virtual panel of the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour, according to reports. “I didn’t know what was going on. I was like, ‘I wish that man would just get up off of the ground.’ And then I realized it was Jimmy Kimmel, and I was like, ‘Ooh, the disrespect, Jimmy!’ But that’s just me.”
Ralph laughed and sarcastically added, “Sorry! I’m so sorry, it was lovely that he was lying on the floor during her wonderful acceptance speech!”
Ralph did not keep her feelings to herself.
“I told him, too! To his face!” she said of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host. “And he understood.”
While Brunson was forgiving, the internet agreed with Ralph that the gag was a miss.
Good. No issue with this. What Jimmy did was disrespectful and he deserved to be told by her and everyone else. If she told him to his face, it sounds like she must have said something to him when she saw him later that same night. And if he understood, great. An immediate negative reaction from others in the industry probably affected him more than online criticism, which is often easy to brush off as noise. I’m glad Quinta doesn’t seem bothered, but unfortunately, if she was and had showed it she would be painted as “angry” and the story may not have been so in her favor. Better this way, for Sheryl, Quinta’s friend and cast member and costar, to defend her and say what Quinta couldn’t. Even beyond saying something to him directly, Sheryl made it known that she spoke to him to double down on the fact that what he did wasn’t okay. Also, LOL at Sheryl calling Jimmy Kimmel “that man.” So appropriately dismissive because that’s all he was that night — a random man trying to make it about himself.
photos credit: Getty and Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
It is unfortunate that the victim of this gag cannot express her true feelings in public because she will perceived wrongly by the white press and fans. I wish Quinta had the privilege and freedom to express her aggrievement.
@ Amy Bee, isn’t that the truth!! If Quinta had made a comment, she would have been raked over the coals. But JK was willing to take the spotlight away from her well deserved win. All in the name of comedy??
I don’t understand the appeal for JK either though. I don’t find him funny in the least nor is he entertaining either.
This. I realize Jimmy was going to do this “gag” no matter who won, but had it been a white woman he did this to, there would be a whole lot more outrage and that woman would feel empowered to talk about how disrespected she felt. It’s awful that Quinta just has to laugh it off.
Sheryl Lee Ralph had one of the most amazing acceptances; what a talent! And what a great friend and ally, too! Jimmy Kimmel is popular, which is a lot harder to fight (though thankfully JK admitted he was wrong), so it’s great that Quinta’s friend had her back.
Perfection ❤️
“A white man broke in today.”
“A.. a white man??? No!! And what did security do about it??”
“Nothing.”
“TYPICAL!!”
(For all my New Girl fans 😂)
Jimmy has always been a childish a$$hole. How disgraceful and insensitive this was .I wish she had stepped on him whilst proclaiming “Comedy Roadkill”!
Yes, dug her heels into his manhood as well.
This woman is magnificent. That is all.
She really is amazing. I love her.
I like that this is being spoken about more. I don’t think Jimmy Kimmel was being purposefully racist, I don’t think he targeted Quinta specifically, but it was a comedy bit that shouldn’t have continued in to winner’s acceptance speech regardless. Don’t steal people’s moments, at the very least.
But this is part of a bigger conversation and change in societal tastes where people don’t want award show hosts doing comedy or mean, rude jokes (you know who I mean here) at the expense of others.
I’d’ve given him a kick. A ‘playful’ kick. 😉
Good for her for standing up for her friend and coworker! She got to have her moment (also so well deserved) and it had to be hard to then watch Quinta’s moment overshadowed by stupid Jimmy Kimmel, who had ample opportunities to remove himself from the stage before she accepted her award.
I think John Scalzi’s maxim “The failure mode of clever is asshole” certainly applies here.
It would have merely been stupid if another white male comedian had won. But another white male comedian would have had full societal permission to respond freely to the “bit.” His not realizing that he has to work within the constraints his “scene partner” faces is a real weakness on his part as a performer.
Good on her for speaking up and calling out this entitled white man who has no understanding of the privilege and protection his gender and skin color afford him.
A woman who is a target of these “jokes” or other disrespect has to limit her response or she is “humorless” or “uptight” or “over-reacting” – nevermind “aggressive”. And a woman of color has to do this even more so.