The Blackest Moments Of The 2019 Emmy Awards
This year’s Emmy Awards were strange, to say the least, and more than a little whitewashed when you consider how few people of color were celebrated for the contributions to television. The fact that most of the predominantly white presenters and winners walked on stage to music by Black artists just added insult to injury. But amid the #EmmysSoWhite, there were a few bright moments of Black excellence, and we listed them all for you here. You love to see it.
Indya Moore Gets E!’s red carpet correspondent all the way together during cringe-worthy interview
Transgender people have had to fight for visibility in all areas of life, including in Hollywood. That’s why the inclusion of Pose, the groundbreaking Ryan Murphy-produced series that features multiple trans actors in the lead cast, is especially important at the Emmys. But looks like some red carpet correspondents didn’t do as much research on their pronouns as they did their designer labels. After an E! correspondent repeatedly misused their pronouns and then began obsessing with the high slits in their dress, a visibly-irked Moore snapped back, “I’ll tell you what. It’s more tricky to exist than to walk in this dress.”
Shannon Sharpe turns in his Undisputed credentials for a spot on the Emmys red carpet and people are...confused
The Hall of Fame tight end turned talk show host only had a few interview segments and it had people caught a little off guard.
Presenters Amy Poehler and Catherine O’Hara walk on stage to Eve’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”
...to present Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, a category in which only white women were nominated.
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Audience reacts to Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner for saying reality TV is about “real people telling real stories about themselves”
The room full of famous people broke out into laughter.
RuPaul using his acceptance speech to encourage people to register to vote
...see that, Bette Midler?
Angela Bassett gives a sexy AF shoutout to her husband, Courtney B. Vance
...and if you don’t know, now you know.
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Speaking of Ms. Bassett, her reaction to seeing Jharrel Jerome’s name when she opened the envelope for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series was all of us...
It was the groundbreaking series’ only win, after it was shut out from every other category, but Jerome’s speech moved the audience to tears and paid honor to the Exonerated Five.
A couple of white allies might be getting invites to the cookout this year
Patricia Arquette and Michelle Williams both allotted time in their acceptance speeches to recognize the most marginalized people in Hollywood: the trans community, and women of color, respectively.
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson reminded us how much we’re going to miss Lucious and Cookie
The pair introduced a montage of long-running shows that came to an end this year, and it was almost too much to handle.
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Billy Porter comes the first Black, openly gay man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category.
The ‘Pose’ star won for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series and was handed his award by none other than Olivia Pope, aka the radiant Kerry Washington, herself!