“British people will get that”. Given that Asian-Americans are rarely even included in discussions about diversity in the first place – and given the gratuitous anti-Asian jokes from Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen during February’s #sowhite Oscars – it felt like a long-overdue step forward. You just knew that host Jimmy Kimmel would have to make some joke about the GOP nominee in his monologue and that at least a few winners would use their speeches to criticize the controversial businessman.
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Louis-Dreyfus, who won of the Emmy Award for best comedy actress for her role as USA president Selina Meyer in “Veep”, apologised for what she called “the current political climate”. “The more I learned about the real Marcia Clark, not the two-dimensional cardboard cutout that I saw on the news, but the complicated, whip-smart, giant-hearted, mother of two who woke up every day, put both feet on the floor, and dedicated herself to righting an unconscionable wrong”, Paulson said, “the more I had to recognize that I, along with the rest of the world, had been superficial and careless in my judgment and I am glad to be able to stand here today in front of everyone and tell you I’m sorry”.
“Please give transgender talent a chance”, he said.
That thought was reiterated by Best Comedy Director Jill Soloway, who urged the audience, in what would be the most delightfully gonzo moment of the night, to “topple the patriarchy”.
Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama: Susanne Bier, “The Night Manager”.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the building when Julia Louis-Dreyfus tearfully revealed her dad had recently passed when she got on stage to accept her award. “The People v OJ Simpson”, which is the dramatic retelling of the infamous O J Simpson’s murder trial, was honoured for its writing and captured several acting awards. But the important thing is that these are deserving winners.
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Limited Series: “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”. “Our show started out as a political satire, but it now feels like a sobering documentary”, she said, drawing laughs from the crowd before concluding on a serious note about the death of her father on Friday. As in his New York Times editorial, Aziz Ansari made personal what many Trump supporters want – the elimination of Latinos and Muslims from America – by jokingly asking his parents (and Master of None costars) to leave the auditorium. Louie Anderson was honoured as best supporting actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of a loving but tough mom in “Baskets”. Maggie Smith was named best supporting actress in a drama series for the final season of “Downton Abbey”. “That was not a joke – that is reality”.
