Last night was very big for the audience-pleasing Abbott Elementary, as the critically acclaimed comedy took home two major 2022 Emmy wins. One of those awards went to writer, creator, and lead actress Quinta Bruson won the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. It was a major moment but one that came with an unexpected development, as talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was laying on the stage during her historic award win. In the aftermath, Brunson shared her opinion on the matter, and it differs from those of people across Twitter.
To provide a little background on the scenario, Will Arnett and Jimmy Kimmel presented the Writing for a Comedy Series award. As part of a comedy bit, Arnett carried a seemingly motionless Kimmel to the stage, saying that the talk show host drank his heart away after having lost in his category for the 13th consecutive year. The joke received plenty of laughs but, surprisingly, once Quinta Brunson made her way to the stage to accept the trophy, Kimmel continued to lie on the floor beside her. He’d ultimately leave after Brunson finished her speech.
The Abbott Elementary creator, the third Black person and the second Black woman to win the award, was later asked about the situation while addressing the press following her win. The 32-year-old star didn’t chastise her colleague for the joke and went on to detail her relationship with the late-night staple up to that point:
I know Jimmy Kimmel, and I don't know, I feel like the bit didn't bother me that much. I don't know what the internet thinks. Honestly, Jimmy gave me my first big late-night spot. He was one of the first people to see Abbott Elementary. He was the first person to message me on Instagram. He was so excited it was going to be on ABC. I was happy it was Jimmy. He’s one of the comedy godfathers. I'm a huge fan of Will Arnett, so I was wrapped up in the moment. Tomorrow, maybe I’ll be mad at him.
Quinta Brunson, interestingly enough, is set to appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday. The host also referenced during the press conference, which was attended by ET, and joked that “Maybe I'll punch him. I don't know. We'll see what happens.” Though she seemed to be mostly fine with how things went down, others across social media were not. One Twitter user asserted that Brunson “deserved better” during her big moment:
Quinta Brunson deserved better than giving her acceptance over Jimmy Kimmel’s “dead” body. #Emmys #AbbottElementary pic.twitter.com/ofP5mkXpvySeptember 13, 2022
A number of individuals from media outlets also commented on the matter. Philip Lewis of HuffPost weighed in, expressing the sentiment that Jimmy Kimmel should’ve moved aside:
Jimmy Kimmel should have left the stage during Quinta’s speech. Highly disrespectful #EmmysSeptember 13, 2022
Based on the array of social media posts that have popped up since last night, many people simply didn’t find the 54-year-old talk show host’s joke funny. This was a position held by sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen:
Congratulations to Quinta Brunson for writing the best comedy series I have seen in forever. #Emmys #AbbottElementary And presenter Jimmy Kimmel, get up, it’s unfunny and rude. pic.twitter.com/poRVOnwk6gSeptember 13, 2022
While the joke has received quite a bit of attention, Quinta Brunson’s major victory itself has arguably received the bulk of the buzz, it seems. Fans have also been celebrating Brunson’s co-star, Sheryl Lee Ralph, who gave a phenomenal speech after winning for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Such accomplishments should provide Abbott Elementary with some sweet momentum as its second season approaches.
Quinta Brunson has yet to provide further thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel’s actions, but chances are it’ll be addressed when she appears on his show later this week. If her comments after the Emmys are any indication, the chat should be friendly – if not slightly awkward.
Abbott Elementary Season 2 premieres on September 21 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC as part of the 2022 TV schedule. You can catch up on Season 1 by streaming the show with a Hulu subscription.
