Today in TV History: Emmy-Winning Kirstie Alley Told Us All About The Big One

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: August 24, 1991

PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED ON THIS DATE: The 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The Primetime Emmy Awards have always been a little bit lacking in the award-show universe. They’re not as prestigious as the Oscars, not as performative as the Grammys, not nearly as drunk as the Golden Globes. Where it’s always fallen the most short is when it comes to memorable moments. By 1991, the Oscars had produced streakers, “zionist hoodlums,” and Sacheen Littlefeather. The Emmys … well, they had Patty Duke, but no one really ever talks about that.

Far too few people talk about Kirstie Alley‘s 1991 Outstanding Actress in a Comedy win either, which is too bad. It was decent sensation at the time, and it would have been a lot bigger if Twitter had been around. Alley had been on Cheers for four seasons by this point, and had received two Emmy nominations but hadn’t won yet. (Her co-star Ted Danson had just the year before broken his long Emmy drought after seven previous unsuccessful nominations.) Clearly, Alley felt like her award was a long time coming. What was somewhat less expected was her oddly phrased tribute to her husband.

A few notes about this incredibly important moment in Emmy history:

• Teeny little Macaulay Culkin presented the award, which instantly tells you exactly what moment in pop-cultural time this took place in.
• Kirstie is funny and also kind of a mess in person, which would have made her a huge favorite among gay men years before Drop Dead Gorgeous, much less her Fat Actress phase.
• “I’m usually not sincere, this is a big moment for me.”

But the main course here is obviously Parker Stevenson and “The Big One.” Sex on TV was primarily handled euphemistically back then, and since there aren’t too many other ways to parse “the big one,” this was a little bit shocking. It’s also massively funny, if only for the decidedly nonplussed face of Parker Stevenson.

If you’re ever looking for a visual aid to illustrate how “bemused” doesn’t mean the same thing as “amused,” this right here is the picture of it. Even not-quite-Glenn-Close behind him thinks so.

 

Where to stream Cheers