Trophies were handed out to some of the most influential actors on television and streaming platforms at the 2021 Emmy Awards. The big winners of the night were also the most obvious. Olivia Colman, Jason Sudeikis, Kate Winslet were among the top winners and their shows swept into the major categories by The Crown, Ted Lasso and Easttown. One of the surprise wins of the night was Jean Smart, who won the Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series award for Hacks.
While the actors winning for their work have been phenomenal, it is also clear that no one managed to receive a Person of Color (POC) from the Emmys in the acting categories. This was a surprise because after years of backlash, the Emmys held the record for most POC actors and cast nominations in 2021. Some of the top contenders were Billy Porter, Reggae Jean-Page, MJ Rodriguez, Michael K Williams, Bowen Yang and many others. .
Only two POC artists managed to win an Emmy, and both were history-making winners. RuPaul’s Drag Race won a trophy for Outstanding Competition Event, making it the most number of Emmys won by a black man.
Michaela Coel, on the other hand, won Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the HBO series I May Destroy You. She also made history as the first black woman to win an Emmy for writing for a limited series.
Koel, who wrote the show on her experience with sexual assault, dedicated the award to all survivors of sexual assault. In his inspiring acceptance speech, Coyle said, “Write the story that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I challenge you. In a world that makes us browse through the lives of others.” to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and in turn to feel the need to be constantly visible – for visibility to somehow equate success these days. Guess – don’t do this to us for a while, afraid to disappear from us, and let’s see what comes to you in silence. … I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault.”
This year’s Emmy win has sparked a huge debate online, accusing the Television Academy of “protester awareness”. Many are also commenting on how ‘I May Destroy You’ didn’t get a single nomination at the Golden Globe Awards. The debate around the diversity created by this hoax led to the revelation that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association did not have a single black member. In the case of the Butterfly Effect, several eminent members of the film industry protested against the HFPA, returning their Golden Globes.
While the debate over whether the Emmys are “So White” is here to stay, it’s also important to focus on the historic victories of these POC artists. In a Twitter storm, it’s often easy to overlook the achievements of these artists who broke cultural and racial barriers to get where they are now.
Over the years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a flag bearer of diversity and acceptance. It was one of the first shows to bring drag into the mainstream, breaking down the stigma surrounding it in an extremely entertaining way. Every member of RuPaul’s Drag Race has set a benchmark in self-love, creativity, and excellence, regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation. RuPaul’s Drag Race will go down in history as one of the most important shows for the LGBTQ+ and black community.
READ: Emmy Awards 2021: Ted Lasso, Easttown’s Mare, The Crown Win Multiple Honors
Michaela Coel, on the other hand, validated the sentiments of sexual assault survivors with I May Destroy You. He wrote on topics that most writers do not even address. Cuckoo takes issues such as consent, theft, trauma, grief, healing, cancellation of culture and puts them in an eight-part series. I can destroy you You are extremely uncomfortable and upsetting, and that is exactly what it is intended to do.
While we celebrate RuPaul’s Drag Race and I May Destroy You, we must also remember another show that is equally important to the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. The pose, which was nominated for several awards but was turned down, thrust New York City’s African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming drag ball culture into the spotlight.
Not only was the pose (which ended this year) spectacular, it also made many people feel seen. A remarkable venture indeed, the show deserves far more recognition than it has received during its runtime. Our only hope is that the pose attains cult status, as it truly deserves to be passed down through the generations.
Read: List of Emmy Awards 2021 Winners: Ted Lasso, The Crown Sweep Acting Category
The online debate has led to a structural change in the entertainment industry. Hopefully, these changes will be reflected in the decisions of the HFPA, the Television Academy and the Academy in the coming years.
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