The Girls Get to Sit Down

At the Emmys tonight, actress Jean Smart made an unconventional request during her acceptance speech for her fifth consecutive award in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category. "Just the men stay standing," she said to the applauding crowd, before adding, "The girls get to sit down." Smart had just won her eighth Emmy award overall and became the first actress to win for each season of a series, but she chose to celebrate her milestone with a downplaying sense of humor.

Her peers, in their well-dressed ensembles, might have muttered that she wasn't as talented as to warrant a standing ovation due to the discomfort of their gowns. This sentiment echoed the approach her character Deborah Vance would take, a gutsy, hard-headed, and occasionally vulnerable elder statesman of comedy. Vance's arc embodied the challenges faced by a woman who refuses to compromise in a male-dominated industry.

Smart's win paralleled her character's journey, highlighting the difficulty of achieving such success as a no-nonsense woman. Other women honored for playing uncompromising women included Rhea Seehorn, who won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Carol Sturka in Pluribus, and Kate O’Flynn for her supporting role in Widow’s Bay as Patricia, a government bureaucrat.

Allison Janney won for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance as United States President Grace Penn in The Diplomat. The women's shared lineage as industry colleagues, rather than competitors, was emphasized by Seehorn's speech, quoting Gloria Steinem. Smart's enduring charisma and Vance's refusal to quit contributed to her historic achievement, showcasing the worth of the woman she brought to life.