The Emmys are a star-studded night that brings out the best of the best.
It is also a night we often use to get a better idea of the way Hollywood feels about issues that are important to them. Some celebs use satire and comedy to poke fun at issues to help raise awareness, while others take a firm stand and place the writing clearly on the wall for the world to read.
However the stars let their feelings be known, there is one thing you can’t deny: This year’s Emmys were chock full of political satire and strong statements about women and social issues.
1. Amy Schumer on the red carpet
We are lucky enough to be living in a day and age when Twitter often dictates what we are going to consider important, and the social media site latched onto Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls movement this year with a vengeance. We were treated to some fantastic moments on the red carpet, which stemmed from #AskHerMore questions and the Smart Girls Twitter. Of course, Amy Schumer slayed:
.@vandoza#Emmys@amyschumer@gloriasteinem#SmartGirlsAskpic.twitter.com/ZrX4tam3pM
— AmyPoehlerSmartGirls (@smrtgrls) September 20, 2015
2. Mo’Nique on the carpet
But by far the best #AskHerMore/Smart Girls moment came from Mo’Nique, who made a plea to stop appropriation and allow “those who have lived these stories to tell them.”
3. Andy Samberg on racism
Host Samberg was the first to satirize one of the problems in Hollywood — a lack of diversity — by saying, “This is the most diverse group of nominees in Emmys history. So congratulations, Hollywood, you did it. Racism is over. Don’t fact-check that.”
4, 5 & 6. Samberg on Cosby, Trump and Kim Davis
He also took shots at Bill Cosby, Donald Trump and the wage gap, but my favorite line of his was, “Paula Deen is on this season of Dancing With the Stars. But I gotta say — if I wanted to see an intolerant lady dance, I would have gone to one of Kim Davis’s four weddings.”
On Cosby: “I have to say, I’m so honored to join the proud ranks of past Emmy hosts. Incredible legendary people like Robert Blake and Bill Cosby? Oh no, I gotta get out of here. But seriously, between Bill Cosby, Jared Fogel and Robert Durst stealing that sandwich, not a good year for dudes who love hoagies.”
On Trump: “Donald Trump, of course, is running for president, to the delight of uncles everywhere. I’ve got to say, sure Donald Trump seems racist… what else?”
On Davis:
"If I wanted to see an intolerant lady dance, I would go to one of Kim Davis' weddings." –@AndySamberg on Paula Deen on #DWTS#Emmys
— Variety (@Variety) September 21, 2015
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7. Amy and Amy
Once the awards finally kicked off, we had a plethora of hot-button topics explored in beautiful, poignant, and often hilarious ways — like when Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler tried to break the internet by appearing on stage together (immediately starting a campaign to have them host the Emmys in 2016).
via GIPHY
8. Jeffrey Tambor’s acceptance speech
Jeffrey Tambor dedicates his #Emmys win to the transgender community: http://t.co/ZReJVFogcBpic.twitter.com/woCZYJ3DYe
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 21, 2015
9. Jill Soloway on trans civil rights
Tambor was continuing the conversation started by Jill Soloway when she used her Emmy win to say, “We don’t have a trans tipping point yet. We have a trans civil rights problem, so go to tranquility.com and vote to pass the trans equality bill.”
Jill Soloway gives a heartfelt speech about transgender equality after her #Emmys win: http://t.co/wPeFswqCdepic.twitter.com/qBsxSMnlvk
— E! News (@enews) September 21, 2015
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10. More Trump jokes from Julia Louis-Dreyfus
It wasn’t just social issues that the stars brought to the table. There was no way, with a room full of the world’s best comedians, we were going to get out of there without more Donald Trump jokes. Like when Julia Louis-Dreyfus said, “I think it would be appropriate at this moment to quote our political satire Veep, ‘What a great honor it must be for you to honor me tonight.’ Oh God, no! Donald Trump said that,” adding, “It’s getting trickier and trickier to satirize this stuff.”
"It's getting trickier and trickier to satirize this stuff" – @OfficialJLD, upon her win. Truer words. Truer words. #Emmys2015
— shinan govani (@shinangovani) September 21, 2015
11. Twitter chimes in
Some times it wasn’t Hollywood that was trying to further the conversation but Twitter chiming in with what they were seeing.
Do you think there will ever come a time where award categories stop being separated by gender? (I'm indifferent, just curious) #Emmys2015
— rae (@ASamanthaRae) September 21, 2015
12. Ava DuVernay talks
We even got to hear from Selma director Ava DuVernay, expressing her thoughts about the potential history yet to be made.
https://twitter.com/AVAETC/status/645740791491526656
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13. Viola Davis makes Emmys history
And about that history making. We got to see Viola Davis make history as the first African American woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Then we were treated to the most impressive speech of all when Davis said, “In my mind, I see a line, and over that line I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line, but I can’t seem to get there nohow. I can’t seem to get over that line,” Davis said, quoting Harriet Tubman. “Let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”
Our #Emmys winner for Lead Actress, Drama Series: @ViolaDavis, @HowToGetAwayABCpic.twitter.com/jZVlMZV7N2
— Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) September 21, 2015
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