Controversial Emmy Moments: 5 Things That Had People Talking, Including Jill Soloway & Jeb Bush [VIDEO]
The Emmys featured numerous amazing moments throughout the ceremony, but the show wasn't without a few controversial moments that had many on Twitter talking.
Last night's Emmys proved that the Television Academy wasn't interested in rubber-stamping previous winners too much, making people like Kate McKinnon, Rami Malek, Tatiana Maslany, Sarah Paulson, Louie Anderson and Sterling K. Brown Emmy winners. Of course, we still had repeat winners, but it was a strong ceremony for many in the viewing audience.
However, there were some moments throughout the show that proved to be controversial, especially in the Twitter sphere. Here were the five biggest controversies at the Emmys this years:
"Topple the patriarchy!"
The often outspoken Transparent creator Jill Soloway accepted her second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and took the opportunity to speak her mind on various issues plaguing America today. But one line that had people talking was when she concluded her speech chanting "Topple the patriarchy!", which obviously set off certain sections of Twitter, though she also received plenty of praise for it.
Jeb Bush
The surprising appearance of Jeb Bush in the opening skit had plenty of people talking. The often mocked former presidential candidate appeared as a limo driver for host Jimmy Kimmel. Bush sincerely asks Kimmel, "Are you nominated?" for an Emmy, to which Kimmel confirms he is, only to have Bush respond, "Wow, what's that like?" The bit was tongue in cheek, but many found it a bit "sad!"
Lemonade loses
Beyonce's visual art piece Lemonade was nominated for four Emmys, three of which it lost last week at the Creative Arts Emmys. It was only up for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special at the primetime telecast, but it lost yet again. This upset a great deal of people, especially with the winner being the technically impressive but comparatively frivolous Grease: Live.
Maggie Smith wins
Jimmy Kimmel made a comment during his opening monologue that the Emmys should institute a "Maggie Smith rule." This dictates that if you are not present to accept your Emmy, as Smith never is, the trophy should be given to the runner-up of the category. Sure enough, Smith ended up winning and not being there, and Kimmel comically came out shaking his head and denied her the trophy. While Smith gives a solid performance in Downton Abbey, there were many who wished some fresh blood would win this category.
Major losses
While the Emmys spread the wealth overall, rewarding shows like Veep, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Mr. Robot, Orphan Black, Bloodline, Transparent, Baskets, Saturday Night Live and Master of None, there were still a lot of shows with multiple nominations that walked away with nothing on Emmy night. This was very disquieting for many TV fans, with shows like The Americans, House of Cards, Better Call Saul, Silicon Valley, black-ish, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Fargo receiving zero Emmy love at the ceremony.
