Emmy winner Quinta Brunson didn’t mind Jimmy Kimmel’s bit commitment
“Tomorrow maybe I’ll be mad at him. I’m going to be on his show on Wednesday, so I might punch him in the face.”
Aux News Jimmy Kimmel
Everyone’s talking bout the Emmys: The glitz, the glamor, the snubs, the flubs, and the ridiculous amount of Ted Lasso and Succession cast members that can fit into one category. It sure was exciting, watching many of the same people as last year win again.
But despite what you might think, the Television Academy didn’t air a repeat of last year’s ceremony. Attentive viewers might have noticed that there was nary a mention of Halston this year. Others noticed that the hilarious Quinta Brunson picked up her first Emmy tonight, earning the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her work on the Abbott Elementary pilot. The crowd went wild. Well, everyone but late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. He lied on stage like a slug. It was his only defense.
Earlier in the evening, Kimmel lost his 13th Emmy, a bitter pill to swallow. What wasn’t difficult to swallow, according to Kimmel’s co-presenter, Will Arnett, were the skinny margaritas in the back. Arnett dragged Kimmel on stage and did the heavy lifting (in more ways than one) of handing the award to Brunson, who was left kicking Jimmy and saying, “Jimmy, I won.”
It was a ridiculous moment in a rather incident-free (if boring) awards show. But that seamlessness came at a cost. Without a slap or a La La Land, the Emmys gave the netizens of Twitter very little to talk about. The night was so devoid of the usual hiccups that The Hollywood Reporter writes that the bit spurred a backlash against Kimmel. Some on Twitter did not appreciate Kimmel’s alleged disrespect of Brunson’s win and his commitment to a comedy bit. Though, Brunson did get someone to hold her phone for her while she accepted the award.
Still, the criticism is valid. As many noted, all the pictures of Brunson’s first win now feature a lifeless Kimmel, sweating and motionless under the hot lights of the Microsoft Theater in beautiful downtown Los Angeles. This behavior could be construed as yet another example of a wealthy, powerful white man diminishing the accomplishments of people of color, particularly women of color.
Whether or not Brunson was offended is beside the point. It’s understandable why people wouldn’t be annoyed. A new Black artist has her moment in the sun, and now media outlets (such as the one you’re reading) are placing Jimmy Kimmel’s name next to hers. Suddenly, we’re not even talking about what an accomplishment Brunson achieved at such a young age or even what a great show Abbott Elementary is (and it really is). Instead, we’re talking about frickin’ Jimmy Kimmel. For those who just wanted to see an artist they love and respect get the validation they deserve, it’s easy to see why this would be a disappointment.
Nevertheless, Brunson did get the last word on the subject, though.
“I know Jimmy Kimmel. I don’t know. The bit didn’t bother me that much. I don’t know what the internet thinks,” Quinta Brunson told reporters after the Emmys. “ I know him. Honestly, Jimmy gave me my first late-night spot. And was one of the first people to see Abbott. He Instagram messaged me and said it was one of the greatest comedies of all time. He was so excited that it was going to be on ABC.”
“So in that moment, I was just happy that it was Jimmy up there. I kind of consider him one of the comedy godfathers. Tomorrow maybe I’ll be mad at him. I’m going to be on his show on Wednesday, so I might punch him in the face.”
So if we report on Wednesday night that Quinta Brunson assaulted Jimmy Kimmel, we’ll know how she feels about the bit. For now, we’ll consider the beef squashed.
55 Comments
Move over, Olivia Wilde! Kimmelgate begins!
I think I saw Arnett spit into Kimmel’s dick!
Into it? His aim must really be something.
He should be fired His behavior was disgusting and racist.
in which imaginary Land or Time is that now?
Twitter
While Matt was disgusting in his fat shaming, I don’t think it was driven by racism.Firing him might also be overkill.
How is it racist to do commit to a pre-planned comedy bit before you even know who won?
You should audition for Mr. Fantastic with that kind of reach.
Not the guy who was behind the Man Show being inappropriate and tone-deaf!
Hey, did you know he was on The Man— oh, you seem to have taken this one. Carry on then.
Win Ben Stein’s Money or GTFO!
How is it inappropriate OR tone deaf? It’s a COMEDY BIT during the part of the show honouring COMEDY, for fuck’s sake.
Grow the fuck up and get a god damn sense of humour, you sad piece of shit.
You do realize these bits are preplanned right?
?
??
what awful thing did you do in your past that you now find yourself here virtue signaling at every opportunity? it must have been bad for you to carry such guilt.
You’re right, people are scrambling to find something to be outraged over.
Perfect response from Quinta. It’s why she’s a winner for Outstanding Writing.
“Without a slap or a La La Land, the Emmys gave the netizens of Twitter very little to talk about.”The horror.
“Oh no, she doesn’t care! Let’s make everyone else care!” – the internet, especially this fucking shithole.
“Must. Generate. CLICKS.” – the editors cry, like Superman trying to crawl away from a chunk of Kryptonite.
“I… was… forced to move to… LA… for this…!”:: death rattle ::.
“Still, the criticism is valid.”No, it’s not.
Next time you’re up for an award, give me a call so I can show up and hog some attention. Should be fine, right?
I thankfully don’t have your number. You seem like the last fun person alive. It’s comedy writing award, not the fucking Nobel Peace Prize. Get over yourself.
“I thankfully don’t have your number.”So that’s a no, then? Shocked, I am.
That seems unlikely that they’re (I assume you meant ‘least’ not ‘last’ which would make the sentence be the opposite of what I think you intended in this context), they’re both a captain *and* splendid!
Are you Jimmy Kimmel? Then sure! It would put a little more spotlight on my win.
“It would put a little more spotlight on my win.”I think your math needs work.
See? You’re part of the problem. Stop ruining award shows. They’re very important.
Long as you lemme finish.
Is that you, Kanye?
I think we may be transcribing actual conversation between Kanye & Kim!
No, see, here’s a bunch of completely random tweets to support my POV!
Oh shit! Well in THAT case…
Is there a quota for articles based on Twitter reactions?
I mean, do you really expect AVClub writers to critically evaluate and discuss film, tv, music, and books or something?
Not in this decade.
“As many noted, all the pictures of Brunson’s first win now feature a lifeless Kimmel, sweating and motionless under the hot lights of the Microsoft Theater in beautiful downtown Los Angeles. This behavior could be construed as yet another example of a wealthy, powerful white man diminishing the accomplishments of people of color, particularly women of color.”
Every single one of those people can fuck ALL THE WAY off.It’s the award for BEST COMEDY WRITING. Fucking IMAGINE THAT, they did COMEDY during the COMEDY award section.
Fuck off. Fuck off. FUCK OFF.
“Whether or not Brunson was offended is beside the point.” This is just not true. You seem to value her opinion enough to report on it.Your next sentence (“It’s understandable why people wouldn’t be annoyed”) is completely accurate, but you clearly made a mistake while trying to write the opposite.
I’m curious as to what this has to do with the woman from Kimmy Schmidt.
Well, it all started at an antebellum-themed frat party…
A) I appreciate the Christmas Story referenceB) y’all need some copy editors. “Whether or not Brunson was offended is beside the point. It’s understandable why people wouldn’t be annoyed.”Pretty sure that should say WOULD be annoyed.
No I think it is UNDERSTANDABLE by people aren’t annoyed. The writer got it right, yet still wrote this article.
What a wildly unaware article. Starts by commenting how there was nothing for anyone on twitter to go crazy about, then proceeds to try and create something for people on twitter to go crazy about. Here’s a suggestion: Instead of writing an article about Jimmy Kimmel wrongfully stealing Quinta Brunson’s spotlight, you write an article about…wait for it…Quinta Brunson!
“You know what this script needs… More characters staring directly in the camera”GIVE HER THE EMMY!!!
Be careful, criticizing this show may result in excommunication from the AV Club.
I actually blame Will Arnett for this. He should have dragged Jimmy away from the mic as the winner came up. If you’re gonna commit, COMMIT to the bit! Once she was done, or even as she was walking up, drag him ALL the way off stage. But to leave him there was just sloppy. We’re I she, I would have grabbed one leg and told Will to get the other and drag Jimmy five more feet away.
I would’ve grabbed one leg and told Will to make a wish.
You sure you didn’t mean to put this over on The Root?
I think even the writers at The Root think the AV Club is being a little ridiculous about this.
People simultaneously make fun of awards shows, then act like this matters at all. He didn’t pull a Kanye. And the bit started before the winner was announced.Abbott Elementary is the best network comedy show on the air right now. But to act like it deserves some sort of reverence at an awards show is silly. Kimmel made something uninteresting slightly less uninteresting.
the real question is why was Jimmy Kimmel nominated in the first place
I kind of consider him one of the comedy godfathers.
This kind of seems way more offensive than anything that happened on stage?