Fans Call Out 'Disrespectful' Emmys Bit Involving Anthony Anderson's Mom

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson stepped up to host the Emmy Awards for the first time on Jan. 15, with the hopes of bringing levity and fun to the long-delayed Hollywood event.

The comedian kept the audience, which included many of his close friends, on their toes throughout his opening monologue to get the night of celebration started.

It started off promising as he kicked it off with a medley of classic TV theme songs, playing in his "living room," paying tribute to shows like Good Times, The Facts of Life and Miami Vice, which featured a special appearance by Blink-182's Travis Barker on the drums.

He got a round of applause when acknowledging that the ceremony was taking place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, before eliciting plenty of laughs from the crowd when he introduced his mother during a PSA about "playoff music."

"This year, I've got something that nobody can ignore—my momma," he said to a round of applause, adding that Doris Bowman was going "to be the Emmys playoff momma."

He added that if any winners see his momma coming, they should just "thank Jesus and your family, and wrap it up."

Momma then cut off her own son—she is from the West side of Chicago, after all—to inform him that his joke was going on too long.

However, when Bowman took her job seriously and interrupted Jennifer Coolidge to let her know it was time to wrap up her acceptance speech for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The White Lotus, the internet said she crossed a line and took the joke too far.

While some were in favor of the opening monologue, with one writing, "I need Anthony Anderson’s mom in my everyday life," others weren't into it, calling it "awkward" and unnecessary.

Another user questioned, "Why is Anthony Anderson mom interrupting everybody? This makes it take even longer to get them off the stage."

"I really hope this Anthony Anderson mom thing is not for real! I hate that like Jennifer Coolidge is an icon let her talk if she wants to, "someone else exclaimed.

One user said it was "funny as a bit, but should have stopped there," as someone else called it "inappropriate and disrespectful."

Ahead of the Emmys, Anderson teased the choice for Doris to appear was quite fitting, as the two just started co-hosting the new game show We Are Family.

While discussing with The Hollywood Reporter what his monologue was possibly going to look like, Anderson joked that he'd use it as an opportunity to give an acceptance speech for Emmy nominations he lost: "My monologue will be all 11 speeches I had prepared over the years."

He also promised ahead of time to "poke fun" at audience members, but added, "It will be all light humor to keep the show moving along and a smile on everyone’s face."

The actor, who earned all of his Emmy nominations for his starring role in the popular sitcom Black-ish, succeeded in keeping his speech energized and entertaining.

The 2024 Emmy Awards also featured many great celebrities as presenters throughout the night, including Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary, Brett Goldstein of Ted Lasso and Jenna Ortega of Wednesday, among others.

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