“Abbott Elementary” Creator Quinta Brunson Had To Step Over Jimmy Kimmel To Collect Her Emmy

Despite having been nominated for and losing the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Show for the 11th year in a row, Jimmy Kimmel still managed to become the #TalkofTwitter last night at the 2022 Emmy Awards ceremony for stepping over first-time nominee Quinta Brunson’s big moment when she had to literally step over his ass to get to the podium to collect her Emmy for Best Writing in a Comedy series. OK, not literally. Jimmy was laying on his back playing dead on stage, so more accurately she literally had to step over his crotch which proved to me that not only did she earn that Emmy with her talent, but she also deserves an award for Best Restraint for not piercing his nut sack with a well placed 10” stiletto heel. Brava, my Short Queen!

Quinta was thrice nominated last night for her hit CBS sitcom Abbott Elementary including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Best Comedy Series as the executive producer, and Best Writing in a Comedy Series, which she won. Contrast that to Jimmy’s show Jimmy Kimmell Live! which has been nominated 11 times and lost 11 times. And yet he’s still finding new and inventive ways to nominate himself for The Biggest Loser. During last night’s show, Jimmy and fellow loser Will Arnet (7 nominations, zero wins) were doing a bit about how Jimmy had gotten so drunk after losing his nomination to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, that Will had to drag his body onto the stage to announce the winner of Quinta’s category. And there he stayed. Even after she won. Deadline reports:

It was a big night for Quinta Brunson and her show Abbott Elementary, but the jubilant writer-actress had to share her time on stage with an unexpected sidekick — Jimmy Kimmel.

For those who missed the gimmick, Will Arnett dragged the late-night star on stage for a bit before he announced the winner for Best Writing in a Comedy Series. Brunson won, but Kimmel —  who said nothing during the entire skit but did give a thumb’s up to the Emmy winner — opted to stayed put. Brunson even tried by saying “Jimmy, wake up. I won,” but he wouldn’t budge.

Viewers weren’t having any of it, with some going on Twitter to say what they really felt about the moment.

At least he wasn’t in blackface? Maybe he stayed down there because the bar is so low, there was no way for him to limbo under it without laying on his back. I don’t know, here’s Quinta’s acceptance speech. As you can see, she tried to give him an out and he just laid there saying “Yes… but no” when he should have followed the golden rule of improv and said, “Yes… and this is stupid, let me get up and let this incredibly talented woman have her moment, it’s not her fault I’m a hack.”

Quinta Brunson accepts the #Emmy for writing for a comedy series for #AbbottElementary. https://t.co/h3GrtHDmKy pic.twitter.com/ZmqM1P82XJ

— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2022

I like to think she was standing on his hand the whole time, just grinding it into the floorboards like a discarded cigarette under Olivia Newton-John’s red cha-cha heel. But Quinta’s a bigger woman than I, in spirit and talent, if not feet and inches. When asked about it later backstage, Quinta, graciously and with good humor, let Jimmy off the hook.

“I don’t know I know Jimmy Kimmel. The bit didn’t bother me. 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. Tomorrow maybe I’ll be mad at him.”

She may still get her chance to show Kimmel how she really feels. She’ll be his guest on his late-night show Wednesday.

“Maybe I’ll punch him,” she said.

And if she does, she can return the favor next year when Jimmy Kimmel Live! wins its first-ever Emmy for Best Single Episode of Late Night Comeuppance.

Quinta Brunson addressed Jimmy Kimmel laying on stage during her #Emmys acceptance speech: "I felt like the bit didn’t bother me that much…Tomorrow maybe I’ll be mad at him. I’m going to be on his show on Wednesday, so I might punch him in the face." https://t.co/Bm8Bfhyi0k pic.twitter.com/cMDuZbq0AQ

— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2022

Pic: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Imagess