Jimmy Kimmel accused of ‘white privilege’ after Quinta Brunson Emmys stunt falls flat
He was blamed for turning a black woman’s winning Emmys speech into “The White-Man Show.”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is being accused of “white privilege” after overshadowing
“Abbott Elementary” star-creator Quinta Brunson’s 2022 Emmys speech with a decidedly obnoxious sketch. Footage of the stunt is going viral as awards-show fans rip the funnyman for allegedly ruining her big moment.
For the uninitiated, the inflammatory interlude occurred after presenter Will Arnett dragged the 54-year-old “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host by his feet onto the stage as part of a skit before announcing the winner for Best Writing in a Comedy Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
“Jimmy couldn’t be here tonight,” Arnett, 52, joked while addressing his “passed out” co-host lying on the floor. He added that “Jimmy had gotten into the skinny margaritas” after losing the Emmy for his late-night series for the “13th time in a row.”
The sketch garnered audible guffaws — and groans — from the crowd. However, things took a turn after Arnett announced that Brunson had won the Emmy for her ABC series “Abbot Elementary,” whereupon Kimmel shockingly remained on his back in front of the microphone for the duration of her speech. At one point, Brunson even tried to rouse him by saying, “Jimmy, wake up, I won,” but the former “Man Show” host stayed put.
Twitter wasn’t about to take the TV host’s antics lying down.
“So Jimmy Kimmel is really gonna upstage her speech by laying on the floor in front of her?” fumed one incensed viewer. “Like what the f – – k.”
Another chastised, “Jimmy Kimmel should have left the stage during Quinta’s speech. Highly disrespectful.”
Many accused the host of epitomizing “white male privilege” with one critic writing, “If #QuintaBrunson stepping over #JimmyKimmel who literally laid in her spotlight on the day she won an Emmy isn’t a metaphor for what it means to be a WOC in a white mans world I don’t know what is.”
One angry Twitter post seconded their sentiment, writing: “Jimmy Kimmel owes Quinta an apology but the messed up part is every image of her accepting her award has his ass in it. White men really are insufferable.”
“CAN SOMEONE TELL THE HUMAN PERSONIFICATION OF WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE THAT IS @jimmykimmel THAT HE IS NOT ENTITLED TO TAKE UP *ALL* THE SPACE—ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT SPACE BELONGS TO @quintabrunson WHO HAD TO LITERALLY NAVIGATE AROUND HIM TO ACCEPT HER HISTORIC #EMMY,” exclaimed another enraged commenter.
“Me watching black twitter give Jimmy Kimmel the dragging he deserves. I love it,” said one schadenfreude-filled viewer of the host’s supposed online comeuppance.
Despite Twitter’s discontentment with the skit, Brunson said backstage that she didn’t mind Kimmel’s antics.
“I know Jimmy Kimmel. The bit didn’t bother me,” said the writer-actress, who is slated to appear on Kimmel’s late-night show Wednesday. “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.”
She added, “He was so excited it was going to be on ABC. I was happy it was Jimmy. He’s one of the comedy godfathers.”
Although Brunson cheekily joked that maybe she’d “punch him” during her guest appearance as revenge for his antics.
