Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

abc

Pop Culture

Jimmy Kimmel hosted an emotional reunion between 'Abbott Elementary' creator and her sixth-grade teacher

Ms. Abbott is the beloved 6th-grade teacher Quinta Brunson named her hit TV show after.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/Twitter

"Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson named her hit TV show after her beloved sixth grade teacher.

Few people have as profound an effect on a child's life as a teacher does. Most of us have educators who stand out in our memories for the way they taught us, encouraged us, challenged us or nurtured us. The powerful impact of a good teacher is priceless, which is why a surprise reunion between "Abbott Elementary" creator Quinta Brunson and her sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Abbott, is giving people all the warm-hearted feelings.

"Abbott Elementary" is an ABC mockumentary sitcom that debuted in December and has been getting rave reviews. It follows the daily life of teachers, administrators and students in a Philadelphia public school. People are loving it—especially teachers.

Jimmy Kimmel brought the show's creator Quinta Brunson onto his late-night show for an interview, and as they got chatting he pointed out that "Abbott Elementary" was named after a former teacher of Brunson's—Ms. Abbott from sixth grade. And when she showed up on a huge screen behind them, Brunson almost immediately started crying.

The joyful exchange they had was sweet, but it also illustrated how incredible teachers can be. Educators who have been in the classroom for a whole career have taught hundreds, if not thousands, of kids, and yet they can so often remember details about individual students who came through their classroom.

Watch:

Jimmy surprises @QuintaBrunson with the 6th grade teacher she named #AbbottElementary after! pic.twitter.com/Z7vZXanZqL
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@Jimmy Kimmel Live) 1643780760

The first thing Ms. Abbott said was, "I'm so proud of you!" Of course. Not only did Ms. Abbott remember Quinta Brunson, but she gave details about what kind of student she was.

"When she came into my class, she was really shy, timid," Abbott said. But she challenged her students and built up their confidence, and Brunson blossomed and "came out of her shell" during that school year.

Ms. Abbott told Kimmel that she was preparing to retire after teaching for nearly 30 years, and Kimmel surprised her with a special gift—an all-expenses paid, first-class, 5-day trip for two.

"You don't have to take Quinta with you, but she kind of did name the show after you," Kimmel joked.

As a teacher, seeing your students grow up to succeed in whatever they put their mind and heart into is rewarding enough. But every teacher who dedicates themselves to their students deserves this kind of extra gift as a thank-you for the work and the care they put into helping students grow and learn. And having an entire TV show named after you? That's just icing on the cake.

Congratulations to Quinta Brunson on the success of "Abbott Elementary" and to Ms. Abbott for the deserved recognition she's received from it. Teachers are heroes who should be highlighted like this more often, so seeing this joyful reunion and celebration is lovely to see.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

From Your Site Articles

Mike Pence and conservative activists want Joy Behar to apologize on behalf of "offended" Christians everywhere, but it turns out that outrage is manufactured purely to score political points.

It all began back in February when "The View" co-host took part in a segment on whether the vice president's religious views are good for the country.

After two of her co-hosts mocked the VP for reportedly claiming to speak directly with Jesus Christ, Behar quipped, "It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That's called mental illness, if I'm not correct — hearing voices."

Pence said that Behar and ABC should apologize to all Christians for using "The View" as "a forum for invective against religion like that." Behar apologized to Pence in a private phone call after poking fun at him.

Behar's manager claims Pence told her he wasn't personally offended. "The vice president was very gracious and very understanding. He understood that Joy wasn’t attacking anybody and that there was some miscommunication."

Photos by Nick Step/Flickr and Gage Skidmore/Flickr.

The apology demand appears to have been a manufactured campaign from a right-wing interest group.

Why did Pence allegedly strike such a different tone in private versus his harsher public comments?

It might have something to do with the Media Research Center, a conservative advocacy group whose function seems to be to attack people and institutions in the media it feels reflect a bias against conservative views. Since Behar's comments last month, the group has been organizing a petition campaign among its members and has reportedly made 30,000 complaint calls to ABC.

— (@)

All of which seems a little odd, given that Pence accepted Behar's apology weeks ago.

Nonetheless, it's possible Behar still owes an apology — but it's not to the conservative media activists now trying to create a controversy around a perceived persecution.

If Behar owes anyone an apology, it's to those affected by mental illness.

Behar's joke did lack good taste, but not because she supposedly offended Christians. After all, no faith leaders or organizations have publicly complained about her comments. Behar's joke did lack good taste, but not because she supposedly offended Christians. After all, no faith leaders or organizations have publicly complained about her comments. Instead, Behar was insensitive to those with mental illness. These sorts of jokes and offhand comments create stigma and prop up an culture that inflicts suffering and even death upon people with mental illnesses.

Whether she was right or wrong, it was a decent move on Behar's behalf to offer Pence a public apology. And if the reports are accurate, it sounds like Pence also was gracious during their call.

But let's not lose sight of the fact that her joke was absolutely not an attack of Christians or any of faith for that matter. Generating false outrage to score political points doesn't seem like the good samaritan thing to do.

Instead, the next positive step could be for Behar and Pence to agree that jokes referencing mental illness should remain off-limits, and they can take their political disagreements elsewhere.

8 powerful lessons about love, life, and self-care from a talking dog on TV.

'Downward Dog' is a delightful, must-watch show with a powerful message.

There are lots of life lessons we can learn from our four-legged friends — but ABC's "Downward Dog" takes it to the next level.

"Downward Dog" is a heart-meltingly cute show that premiered earlier this year about a woman named Nan and her dog, Martin. Each episode centers on Martin as he learns a bit about himself and the world around him. Oh, and he can talk — at least in the "breaking the fourth wall" way (meaning he doesn't talk to Nan, but he does talk to the audience in a hilarious, droll voiceover), narrating his journey.

Allison Tolman (who plays Nan) and Ned (who plays Martin). Photo courtesy of ABC.

Cuteness aside, there are some phenomenally simple, beautiful, and relatable life lessons peppered throughout the first season.

Even if you haven't watched the show (which you totally should), the observant Martin gives some incredible advice on how to confidently navigate this world — especially on the tough days.

Here are eight of those totally awesome moments of self-love and acceptance.

1. It's OK to communicate your needs in a relationship. In fact, it's really, really important.

The pilot episode focuses on Martin and Nan's relationship. As Nan struggles with some trouble in her love life and a boss who just doesn't get it, Martin feels a bit neglected but realizes that maybe he's not just communicating his needs especially well.

“I don’t think Nan has any idea how packed my days are. I actually have a lot to accomplish. For one thing, the fact that I need 14 hours of sleep is not something I should have to feel bad about. Sleep is the foundation of a productive day."
— Martin

[rebelmouse-image 19529291 dam="1" original_size="450x241" caption="All GIFs from "Downward Dog"/ABC." expand=1]All GIFs from "Downward Dog"/ABC.

2. Get out of your comfort zone.

Rules are important, but it's OK to challenge yourself by trying new things.

When Martin gets a new collar-activated doggy door, he makes that all-too-common mistake of letting his newfound power — being able to go outside on his own — get to his head. From there, he pushed the rules.

"I thought there was a path laid out for me. I was supposed to walk when Nan and Jason said, like some passive supplicant thankful for any walk at all, but I see it now. There isn't a path. There aren't any boundaries. I can go wherever I want. I'm the one in charge."

3. Don't write people off as being either purely "good" or "bad" — especially yourself. Life's more complicated than that.

Martin struggles with his own feelings of loyalty to Nan during the show's third episode and begins to wonder whether wanting to play with others makes him a bad dog. But maybe there's no such thing as a "good dog" or "bad dog" at all.

"Sometimes, I think people get caught up in believing you're either good or bad and that it's black or white, loyal or disloyal — but I think that's kind of maybe reductionistic."

4. You don't need to be perfect, even in the eyes of someone you love.

After struggling during a training session with another dog, Martin finds himself feelings really low, his confidence shot. He's worried he's not good enough for Nan, but it turns out that you don't need to be "the full package." When someone loves you, they love you. Near the end of the episode, Nan comes to Martin's defense.

(And OK, this is a quote from Nan, not Martin. But it reflects how they feel about each other!)

"Martin is my dog, OK, and I really don't care if he's, like, the best-trained dog, and I don't even care if he craps on the floor now and then. I just want him to be happy."

5. Don't be afraid to love the things that make you weird.

While Nan is, in Martin's words, "uptight and pious" for not liking trash, Martin knows what he likes and is unapologetic about it.

"I'm just edgier and less ruled by societal norms. For instance, part of me has always just really, really liked trash. Just, getting into it. And I actually like that about myself."

6. Hiding who you are isn't good for you or the world.

Martin is tired of holding back his love for trash.

"I'm tired of hiding who I am. By living in the shadows, I've actually been buying into her puritanical narrative that trash is bad and unhealthy and shameful. I'm not hiding anymore. There's a big, beautiful, trashy world out here, and I'm gonna taste every fetid, moldy scrap of it."

7. It's OK to be scared of growing up.

Martin doesn't like puppies. His reason, however, doesn't have anything to do with puppies, and a lot more to do with himself and his own fears.

"Maybe I'm not so chill about getting older, OK? That puppy has his youth, he has his beauty, he has a whole lifetime of toys in front of him — and this could be one of the last toys I ever get."

8. Don't take yourself too seriously.

The season finale is about Martin coming to grips with the fact that maybe he's not always going to be the most impressive dog in the world, and maybe he's not as cool as he thinks he is. Maybe he's just a silly dog, and maybe that's OK.

Hodges, Tolman, and Ned. Photo courtesy of ABC.

It's that lesson that resonated the most with Samm Hodges, the show's co-creator and voice of Martin.

"I think for me, it was a trick of the ego," he says, explaining there were times when people would zone out upon hearing that this exciting new project he was working on was about a talking dog. "They just kind of judge you for it. I think ... that [lesson] speaks a lot to me."

Some of life's most important lessons are also the most simple, and that's what "Downward Dog" is all about.

It's easy to overthink things and overcomplicate things. But that thing you've been stressing out about is going to turn out OK. You don't have the answers to everything. You don't need to be perfect.

Be you. Try your best. Be kind. Share a little hope with others.

Every day is a new chance to grow as a person, to learn something new, and to make your own impact on the world. This heartwarming little show and its lead pup are there to help remind us what really matters.

Why LGBTQ people are leaving places like New York and San Francisco for red-state cities.

True

When Cleve Jones was growing up, he felt different from everyone else.

Living as a gay teenager in Phoenix, Arizona, in the early 1970s was difficult to say the least. His dad, a psychologist, believed that homosexuality was something to be cured. His classmates in gym class bullied him so much, he pretended to have a chronic lung ailment so that he could stay in the library instead of the gym. And at one point, he said, he felt so alone that he considered suicide.

Human rights activist and author of "When We Rise" Cleve Jones in 2009. Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images.

Jones has been a civil rights activist for over 40 years, and he is depicted as one of the main characters in ABC's miniseries "When We Rise."

His experience as a teenager was similar to that of many LGBTQ people at that time. The American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality an "illness" until 1973, and throughout the 1950s and '60s, members of the LGBTQ community risked psychiatric lockup or jail if they were "discovered." They could also be fired from their jobs or lose custody of their children. Bullying and violence was also a common threat they faced.

In the show, Jones' character reads about the burgeoning gay liberation movement in Life magazine and is inspired to seek out the movement. Jones recalls that moment vividly from his own life.

Cleve sees the 1971 Life magazine with an article about the gay liberation movement in the ABC miniseries "When We Rise." Screenshot used with permission.

"This magazine, in a matter of minutes, revealed to me that there were other people like me," Jones said in an NPR interview. "There was a community, and there were places we could live safely. And one of those places was called San Francisco."

So, Jones hitchhiked from Arizona to San Francisco in 1973 to start his new life.

Cleve leaves his family behind in Phoenix to move to San Francisco in the ABC miniseries "When We Rise." Screenshot used with permission.

Many LGBTQ people who moved out of red states to cities in blue states in the '60s and '70s helped shape those cities into the same-sex safe havens that we know them to be today.

Cities like San Francisco and New York were seen as places where the LGBTQ community could go to live as themselves and escape some of the oppression, discrimination, and violence they faced back home.

The 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade and Celebration in front of San Francisco City Hall, which marked the 10th anniversary of the gay rights movement. Photo by Paul Sakuma/AP Photo.

Starting with the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the burgeoning gay rights movement grew inside the cities in places such as the Castro district of San Francisco. There, groups mobilized and spearheaded the fight for their rights over the next several decades.

By 1990, the LGBTQ population was largely concentrated in coastal safe-haven cities, including Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C., and, of course, New York and San Francisco.

The 46th annual Gay Pride March on June 26, 2016, in New York City. Photo by Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images.

Today, that trend may be reversing; members of the LGBTQ community are actually leaving those places and moving to smaller, redder cities.

Consumer Affairs analyzed U.S. Census data and Gallup polling information and found that by 2014, large LGBTQ populations had cropped up in red-state cities, including Salt Lake City, Louisville, Norfolk, and Indianapolis. For example, in 1990, only 1% of the Salt Lake City population identified as LGBTQ, but by 2014, that number had grown to 5% — making it the seventh largest LGBTQ urban population in the country.

Economics plays a large role in the trend; the cost to live in many safe-haven cities has skyrocketed. For example, the cost of living in New York City rose by 23% in just five years between 2009 and 2014 while in San Francisco, the median rent price was nearing $4,500 by 2016.

Meanwhile, numerous smaller cities in red states, including Salt Lake City and Indianapolis, offer shorter commutes, cheaper rent, and less competition for the good-paying jobs.

A pride flag flies in front of the Historic Mormon Temple as part of an LGBTQ protest in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by George Frey/Getty Images.

Progress on LGBTQ issues across the country is another reason for the exodus.

There have been a number of federal actions over the last 15 years to solidify equal rights,including President Barack Obama’s executive order protecting LGBTQ federal workers from discrimination and federal and Supreme Court actions that effectively legalized same-sex marriage across a number of red states, including Arizona, Utah, and Indiana. Several cities have also passed local laws protecting the LGBTQ community, including housing and employment protections and benefits for domestic partners of city employees.

A mother to two lesbian daughters holds a sign while watching the Gay Pride Parade on June 28, 2015, in New York City. Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images.

Of course, there's a long way to go — many cities are hotbeds for legal challenges to LGBTQ rights, and 28 states in the U.S. still lack LGBTQ employment discrimination protections.

Rick Scot moved from West Hollywood and bought a house in a suburb of North Carolina with his husband because of cost. But North Carolina is also the birthplace of a controversial law — House Bill 2 — that prevents cities from enacting their own anti-discrimination laws and restricted transgender bathroom access statewide. The law has yet to be successfully repealed.

"I have friends and colleagues who won’t come here," Scot told the L.A. Times.

For some in the LGBTQ community, living in a red state also offers the opportunity to be involved in bringing about real change at a local level.

Protesters in City Creek Park in Salt Lake City in 2015. Photo by George Frey/Getty Images.

New York City and San Francisco didn’t become gay-friendly cities overnight. Change was gradual and hard-fought — and it happened largely because the activists who lived there demanded it.

That's why in the ABC limited series “When We Rise,” Cleve Jones decides to stay put and fight for gay rights in San Francisco rather than go off to Europe to find a better home with his friend.

Roma and Cleve in the ABC miniseries, "When We Rise." Screenshot used with permission.

And today, LGBTQ activists have the opportunity to drive change in red-state cities that have less friendly laws. Some activists are even calling these cities "the new frontier."

That is why Tyler Curry, who calls himself a "blue-ribbon homosexual in a bright red state," has chosen to stay and live Texas — so that he can help bring about change for everyone. "People’s minds can be changed and victories can be won in each state government, no matter how difficult it may seem," Curry wrote in an editorial on the Advocate. "Twenty years ago, the state and federal rights that we now have were merely pipe dreams, but our community refused to let hate beat out hope."

He continued, "Today, we still need to be steadfast in our commitment to LGBT rights across the country, and that means staying put in our red states and demanding respect."

Watch the full trailer for ABC's "When We Rise," which begins Feb. 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central:

From Your Site Articles

How ABC's 'Speechless' is changing attitudes about disability.

'Speechless' matters because inclusivity on TV promotes inclusivity in life.

Over six decades ago, a disabled character starred on a TV show for the very first time.

She was a woman and a wheelchair-using attorney, and she starred in "Martinsville, U.S.A." The program, a 15-minute soap opera, featured actress Susan Peters. In the storyline, she had moved back to her hometown of Martinsville, Ohio, to begin her own law practice.

Use of the wheelchair — unlike later instances, like Robert T. Ironside (a former cop who became a consultant for the San Francisco Police Department after being paralyzed from the waist down after getting shot in the line of duty) — wasn’t simply a plot device. Peters, who was paralyzed due to a hunting accident just a few years earlier, used a wheelchair both onscreen and off.

"Miss Susan," the show’s original title, was one of several planned soap operas in the early days of television that aspired to "spread sweetness and light and an optimistic philosophy" while shying away from the more “over-the-top storylines” that dominated radio waves in 1951.

Fast forward 65 years, and we get "Speechless" — a new sitcom from ABC.

Photo via ABC/Bob D'Amico.

In "Speechless," which premiered on Sept. 21, 2016, the first thing disabled teenager JJ DiMeo (played by legitimately disabled actor 18-year-old Micah Fowler) does is flip the bird at two slackers — cerebral palsy style, amplified by using four fingers instead of one. Call it a comedic accommodation, but the message is funny, unexpected, and crystal clear.

My, how things have changed.

In the show, Fowler stars as a nonverbal teen in a family of five. But that doesn’t mean the character has nothing to say.

Most of the talk around the show has been positive, especially from the disability community.

According to Stephanie Hydal, who co-organized a premier event at the Westside Center for Independent Living in Mar Vista, "Speechless"did what it needed to do with its first episode.

“'Speechless' introduced audiences to major concepts rooted in the disability experience: inspiration porn, parental roles in advocacy, the role of support providers, and the importance of disability advocacy and self-direction,” said Hydal, who noted that viewers in attendance were impressed by how the show humorously highlighted the difference between compliance and accessibility, which she says is a new concept for most people.

By the end of their screening, Hydal says she witnessed budding non-disabled allies engaging with disability stories told by disabled people, and it felt like an important and rare occurrence.

Social issues aside,and perhaps most importantly, "Speechless" is also genuinely funny.

For a comedy show, “Is it funny?” should be first priority, and "Speechless" really is. Not in a mocking, stereotypical way, but in a way that draws from real life, resonates, and invites people in.

The real life approaches used in "Speechless"are perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the ways JJ communicates. "Speechless" creator and "Friends"alum Scott Silveri based JJ’s communication technique on the method developed and used by Eva Sweeney, who has cerebral palsy herself.

Photo via ABC/Tony Rivetti.

Early on, Silveri met with Sweeney to discuss the concept for the show. When he saw Sweeney and her aide communicating with a letter board and laser pointer, he immediately changed the script to insert a human aide in the story, rather than computer-voiced communications, opening up additional avenues for storylines.

Now a paid consultant for the show, Sweeney reads every script “to make sure nothing is completely off or offensive about having CP” and to make sure that the show accurately depicts what being nonverbal is like.

“This doesn’t necessarily make the show better,” wrote Sweeney via email. “But it offers a different and new perspective into how people with disabilities can communicate.”

Plus, the creators brought in actors who actually live with disabilities daily.

Maysoon Zayid, a comedian and actress with cerebral palsy, said "Speechless"is noticeably different when it comes to casting methods: “I love that it makes non-disabled actors playing disabled characters look clownish and offensive.”

Zayid, whose popular TED Talk currently totals over 7 million views, suggested another reason for the show’s success: its authenticity.

“Overbearing moms are definitely REAL for a lot of us," she said. "Being broke is very real too. Disability is not cheap. I love how from the opening scene, JJ shows that nonverbal isn’t the same as infantile. 'Speechless' also champions the inclusion of disabled and non-disabled students together in school which in my case, was life changing.”

"Speechless" matters because inclusivity on TV promotes inclusivity in life too.

“For once, it is nice to see something happening on camera that I have experienced in my own life,” said Dominick Evans, a trans disabled film director and creator of the popular #FilmDis weekly Twitter chat on entertainment and media issues.

Photo via ABC/Tony Rivetti.

Where should the show go next? Evans said he’d “like to see JJ’s mom [hilariously played by Minnie Driver] move from Mama Bear protector mode into teaching JJ how to be a great self advocate, and 'Speechless' has the potential to do just that... It can do a lot of good by showing the world disabled teens are just as capable of being annoying buttheads as any other teen out there.”

Or, as Zayid put it, “I'd really love to see JJ date.”

When its stacked up against where we’ve been, ABC’s "Speechless" lands solidly in the “win” column.

Thankfully, audiences seem to agree. The series premiered to universally positive reviews and solid opening ratings (2.0, 7.3 million in Live+same day). It held up so well, in fact, that the network just announced a rare early full-season order just a week-and-a-half into the season.

But don't think we're all the way there just yet. When it comes to bringing more authentic disabled talent to the screen, a lot more work needs to be done.

A recent study published by the Ruderman Family Foundation reports that less than 1% of TV characters have disabilities — and 95% of those roles are played by actors without disabilities. Even fewer disabled people have established careers as writers, producers, or directors, despite census data that suggests over 56 million, or roughly 1 in 5, Americans are disabled, within every demographic — rich, poor, gay, straight, female, male, trans, person of color, or white as newly fallen snow.

In 2016, disability is a cultural and political identity, a diverse community, and entire libraries of compelling, outside-the-box stories that, by and large, haven’t been widely told — yet.

Hollywood take note: Whether it is creative input, audience cultivation, or hiring practices, the disability community — however one defines or understands it — can no longer be ignored.

Photo via ABC/Richard Cartwright.

If your ideas about disability are stuck in 1951 and you get it wrong, disability advocates, artists, and influencers are going to call you out.

Get it right and you might just have a hit television show like "Speechless."

From Your Site Articles

The underrepresentation of minorities on television is still a big problem, but there's hope.

Tracee Ellis Ross was nominated for a 2016 Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.

Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.

Ross was nominated for her role as Rainbow Johnson in "Black-ish," an ABC sitcom about a self-aware and non-stereotypical black family. Ross' character — the matriarch of the family — is half white.

This nomination for Ross marks her first Emmy nod. But most importantly, this is the first time a black actress has been nominated in this category in 30 years. The last black actress to be recognized and nominated for her work in a comedy series was Phylicia Rashad in 1986 for playing Clair Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." But she didn't win; Betty White took home the prize that year.

2016 seemed poised to be Ross' year.

Which is why it was a surprise when Ross lost to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who accepted her fifth consecutive Emmy in that category for her role on "Veep."

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.

It's not that Dreyfus doesn't deserve it — "Veep" is an incredible piece of media. But why not spread the love? It would've been an amazing moment of recognition for black actresses all over America.

And it also would have helped us talk about the larger problem at hand: a lack of diversity in Hollywood.

The underrepresentation of minorities on television is still a big problem.

A UCLA study on diversity in Hollywood found that out of 825 roles in broadcast scripted programming, only 9% of them went to black actors during the 2013-14 season. All minorities combined accounted for only 20% of those 825 roles.

Ross' nomination was not only symbolic, it was also necessary.

In the late 1980s, the Huxtables on "The Cosby Show" were seen as a "new" type of black family (especially following portrayals on shows like "Good Times" or "Sanford and Son"). The Huxtables were an upper-middle-class family, which is something that was rarely shown on television at the time. The dad (played by Bill Cosby) was a doctor, and the mom was a lawyer.

But that was 30 years ago, and things have changed quite a bit since then. Now "Black-ish" seems to be carrying on the "Cosby Show" torch but in a more realistic, relatable, and modern way. During this season alone, the show has tackled police brutality and a number of other serious issues. They use comedy to start important conversations in people's living rooms, and that's incredibly important.

The cast of "Black-ish." Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images.

Progress is happening: This year's Emmy nominees are the most racially diverse ever.

It means the landscape for non-white actors is widening, and more people are being given opportunities to show what they can do, like Ross. Plus, Ross' family was so proud, her mom, Diana Ross, even took out a full-page ad in The Hollywood Reporter congratulating the star.

— (@)

"Women playing a nuanced role in life has been happening for eons, but on TV it’s been few and far between," Ross has said about her role on "Black-ish."

"In 2016, we’re still trying to get the wife role to match who we are in life, which is people who are many things, not just wives."

So while I wish Ross had taken home the Emmy this year, I can't wait to see what else she has in store. Congrats, Tracee!

Shonda Rhimes just accepted a big award with zero fake humility, and it was awesome.

Awards season wouldn't be complete without golden statue-winning celebrities tossing off a little fake humility in their acceptance speeches.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Things like, "Golly gee, I never dreamed I'd win. Oh wow, I have nothing prepared. Anyone have a phone book I can read? I want to thank my mom, my agent Jim Gleeson, everyone at the Blosh agency, Reginald Partners Inc., my friend-with-benefits Gregory, my hamster Swish..."

Translation: "Ah ha ha ha! I knew all along. ALL ALONG!" Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Or, "This award isn't for me, it's for all of the other fantastic actors nominated in my category. I'm just a big pile of empty Snickers wrappers and wet leaves compared to you guys."

Translation: "Kiss off, suckers! See you at the after party." Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images.

That's why when Shonda Rhimes won the Producers Guild's Norman Lear Award for Achievement in Television, her speech was so refreshing. Not only did she not do any of that, she did ... the opposite of that.

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

"I'm going to be totally honest with you, I completely deserve this," Rhimes said, according to a report in Vulture.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Rhimes does "completely deserve this," and it's fantastic to see her totally owning it.

Rhimes is not only one of the most successful women of color in Hollywood, she's one of the most successful people in Hollywood, period.

There's some evidence that suggests women are less likely to speak positively about their accomplishments. When women don't talk about their accomplishments, people don't know about them. Or people think they're less impressive than they really are.

Rhimes completely owns a night of television on ABC. That's damned impressive. She's right that everyone should know.

I mean, how many nights of television do you own?

Perhaps Rhimes' greatest success is proving that audiences will not just accept, but will embrace shows featuring rich, three-dimensional female main characters and characters of color.

The cast of "How to Get Away with Murder." Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.

When "Grey's Anatomy" premiered way back in 2005, the landscape for TV shows featuring complex, non-white leads was — to put it mildly — pretty dismal. Things aren't perfect now, but they're definitely way better.

The existence of shows like "Empire," "Blackish," "Fresh off the Boat," and "Master of None" all owe a great deal to Rhimes' success — not to mention the shows she herself created or co-created: "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," "Private Practice," and "How to Get Away with Murder."

With her raft of mega-hits, Rhimes demonstrated that if a show wants to score astronomically high ratings, the composition of the cast pretty much doesn't matter. All that matters is whether or not the show is actually good.

Who'd have thought?

Despite this progress, as Rhimes herself acknowledged in her acceptance speech, there's still more work to be done if we want to get back to we were ... in the 19-freaking-70s.

Rhimes and Lear, bro-ing out. Rhimes photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images. Lear photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images.

The other highlight of Rhimes' speech? Her shout-out to the award's namesake: Norman Lear, creator of shows like "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," and "Good Times," all of which featured predominantly characters of color and were were groundbreaking when they aired — more than four decades ago.

"The respect of this award does mean the world," Rhimes said. "It just makes me a little bit sad. First of all, strong women and three-dimensional people of color is something Norman [Lear] was doing 40-something years ago. So how come it has to be done all over again? What are we waiting for?"

Not sure about what Hollywood's waiting for, but the rest of us? We're all waiting for "How to Get Away with Murder" to start up again.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images.

Thanks, Shonda!