3 days ago
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The 76th annual Emmys took place last night at the Peacock Theater (formerly the Nokia Theatre and Microsoft Theater) in Los Angeles. Hacks won for Best Comedy Series, which is sick. Like most awards shows, this one featured an in memoriam segment honoring noteworthy figures from the field who’ve died in the past year. For this purpose, the Emmys turned to Jelly Roll.
Jelly Roll — the tat-faced dirtbag rapper turned omnipresent country music superstar, who pioneered the trail Post Malone is currently speed-running — showed up at the Peacock to perform “I Am Not Okay,” the title track from his recent album. He sang that one while we were reminded about the loss of figures such as Bob Newhart, James Earl Jones, Shannen Doherty, Richard Lewis, Carl Weathers, Richard Simmons, Gena Rowlands, and Phil Donohue. “I believe that music is therapeutic. I believe that music can heal. I also believe that storytelling is just as cathartic. I hope that this song can act as a healing moment for those mourning the storytellers we have lost this year. If you are feeling lost or alone tonight, I want you to know that it’s okay to not always be okay.”
Watch below.
After the segment, Jimmy Kimmel came out and did a lighthearted comedy routine about Newhart, which apparently rubbed some viewers the wrong way. “And the Emmy for deceased industry professional we will miss most goes to…” Kimmel quipped. He continued, “This is the time in the show when we remember the people who’ve we’ve lost over the last year, one I was very lucky to know, and that was Bob Newhart. Those of you who knew Bob, who knew him personally, know he was exactly who you thought he would be. He did not have range. He didn’t need to have range. Bob had what very few comedians have, especially today: A degree in accounting.”
Kimmel later noted, “[Newhart] had his first Emmy nomination in 1962 and didn’t win one until 2013 51 years later, which is a great lesson, and that lesson is Jon Stewart, you should be ashamed of yourself. You said you were retiring.” He concluded on a serious note: “Bob Newhart was one of our most loved and funniest people for more than 60 years and we will miss him for many years to come.”
According to E!, Kimmel’s comedy bit drew backlash from people who felt it was in poor taste to crack jokes immediately following the somber in memoriam segment.
English (US) · 