May Jean Smart and Michaela Coel Win All the Emmys

Emmy nominations are out but these two should be the unequivocal winners

By Shannon Melero | July 13, 2021 | 4:55pm

Entertainment

May Jean Smart and Michaela Coel Win All the Emmys

Photo:Tim P. Whitby, Frazer Harrison (Getty Images)

The 2021 Emmy nominations were announced Tuesday morning and while there is an impressive list of women actors on the roster, the two that deserve to own the ceremony are Jean Smart, nominated for Comedy Lead Actress for Hacks; and Michaela Coel, nominated for Limited Series Lead Actress for I May Destroy You. They are the only two actresses who exist, sorry, that’s just a fact.

Coel has notoriously been snubbed way too much in the United States, emerging from the racist Golden Globes with nary a nod while sweeping the BAFTAs, Independent Spirit Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards for I May Destroy You, one of the sharpest depictions of the aftermath of sexual assault that has ever been aired. And Jean Smart is undergoing a Jeanaissance, of sorts, stealing scenes as Mare’s mom in Mare of Easttown and quipping jokes as an aging-but-still-got-it comedian in Hacks. It’s time for the world to recognize these women’s genius and also justify Jezebel’s own voracious television-watching habits. We are also willing a collab into existence, thank you.

Most Popular

Meanwhile, somewhere, a Marvel executive is sitting in their office, stroking an Oscar statuette, watching the Emmy nominations roll in and laughing maniacally as Elizabeth Olsen’s name is called as a nominee lead actress in a limited series, movie, or anthology for her performance in WandaVision. Paul Bettany is also nominated for his role as Vision. In another office in the Marvel complex, a different executive is furiously crafting a Grammy campaign around the song “Agatha All Along,” this is how the Marvels spend their days. The journey to an EGOT is perilous and long.

To Marvel’s dismay, other people who made other kinds of content were also nominated for Emmy awards. Olsen is up against some serious heavy hitters including Coel, Cynthia Erivo, Kate Winslet, and forest nymph Anya Taylor-Joy. Wandavision itself is in the running for Best Limited Series against I May Destroy You, Mare of Easttown, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Underground Railroad. It would take literal witchcraft for Wandavision to walk out with a trophy but I suppose stranger things have happened.

Notably missing from the nominations for Variety Talk Series was Desus & Mero, who continue to be unjustly snubbed!

The nominations for Best Comedy Series are also a confusing landscape, with Ted Lasso, Black-ish, Cobra Kai, Hacks, The Flight Attendant, The Kominsky Method, and Pen15 going up against Emily in Paris, a show that is in no way a comedy. Call me crazy but the only funny thing about Emily is that a room full of people thought it would be a good idea to actually make two seasons of it.

Billy Porter is nominated once again for his work in Pose alongside Mj Rodriguez, who will have to vogue down Uzo Aduba, Olivia Colman, Emma Corrin, and Jurnee Smollett to win. Elisabeth Moss is also nominated in the Lead Actress, Drama category however I do not honestly believe that she can be considered competition because no one on planet earth is still watching The Handmaid’s Tale. Just get the fuck out of Gilead already and be done with it. The book wasn’t even this long.