The Most Noteworthy Moments From The 2022 Emmy Awards
From Jennifer Coolidge's dance moment to Sheryl Lee Ralph breaking out in song.
The Emmys are exciting, are they not? Not exciting enough to watch, obviously. But exciting to look back on after they’ve aired and you know — read about in this article specifically.
Yup, this year the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards ran for over three hours; and honestly, who has the time? We’ve got episodes of prestige TV to watch! So for your convenience, here are some moments from the ceremony that we found most memorable.
1. Jennifer Coolidge Shimmys
After the one and only Jennifer Coolidge won Best Supporting Actress for The White Lotus, she swiftly remarked that she took a lavender bath that night which made her “swell up inside my [her] dress,” adding that she was having a “hard time speaking”.
As she eventually remembered to read out all the people to thank off a scrap of paper, she got played off by two different pieces of music — first, some more traditional awards ceremony music, followed by a jazzy number which seemed to do the trick. “Wait, hold on!” Coolidge said several times before her body surrendered to the music.
Jennifer Coolidge deciding to dance when the #Emmys attempted to play her off is a truly perfect moment pic.twitter.com/bBkOykRMZA
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022
2. Bowen Yang Claps Contemptuously
Comedian and actor Bowen Yang appears to be channelling the iceberg from Titanic here, with his icy approach to applause amassing upwards of 16,000 likes. We don’t know who he was clapping for, but whoever it was must be devastated.
Congratulations to Bowen Yang. He may not have won the Emmy, but his clapping with thinly-veiled disdain will be a meme for the ages. #Emmys2022 pic.twitter.com/8bfVpVBPys
— Dan Pasternack (@DanPasternack) September 13, 2022
3. The Only Murders In The Building Cast Confirms They’re The Most Comforting Presence On TV
The best True Crime podcast aficionados in the game — Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short — also graced us with their presence at the ceremony, reminding us that it is Gomez’s deadpan presence that has made Only Murders In The Building as successful as it is! Sorry, we’re not over it!
Kinda wishing Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez were hosting the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/bwaGVvKOUn
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022
3. Sheryl Lee Ralph Delivers Her Acceptance Speech In Song
Sheryl Lee Ralph of Abbott Elementary bewitched the crowd when she accepted her Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in the form of song: “I am an endangered species,” she sang, “but I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.”
The lyrics come jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves’ 1993 song ‘Endangered Species’, and Reeves told NPR she “lost her breath” upon hearing that Ralph belted it out.
Sheryl Lee Ralph just gave the most moving acceptance speech in #Emmys history. #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/IvNdXQx94o
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022
4. The Original Cast Of The Brady Brunch Roll Up
The full cast of The Brady Bunch, which originally screened on American TV in the ’60s and ’70s, made an inexplicable appearance during The Emmys opening performance. “WELCOME THE ORIGINAL CAST OF THE BRADY BUNCH!” a disembodied voice blasted, at which point five poor sods then got up from their seats and slapped on their best “let’s just do this” smiles. How weird for everyone involved!
5. Quinta Brunson Wins Best Comedy Writing For Abbott Elementary
Quinta Brunson, who started off in her self-produced Instagram series The Girl Who’s Never Been On A Nice Date bagged a well-deserved comedy writing Emmy for Abbott Elementary, and Jimmy Kimmel didn’t lie on the floor like an idiot for the entirety of her speech or anything! Oh, wait.
That’s a wrap, folks. Until next year!
Photo credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images