“I want to thank all the evil gays”: The White Lotus reference from Jennifer Coolidge’s Emmy acceptance speech explored

At the Emmy Award event on Monday, January 16, 2024, Jennifer Coolidge once again stole the spotlight by winning her second Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award. However, what captured people's attention was her acceptance speech, where she made a reference to The White Lotus show.

The 62-year-old actress, renowned for her role as Tanya McQuoid in HBO's The White Lotus, began her speech by humorously placing the Emmy on the floor, joking that she didn't have the strength to hold it. The audience erupted in laughter as she recounted getting the "hook" last year for an extended acceptance speech during the previous Emmy Awards.

Expressing gratitude to the show's creator, Mike White, Coolidge said, "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to play this incredible character. He says I'm definitely dead, so I'm going along with it." The actress then took a surprising turn in her speech, exclaiming,

"I want to thank all the evil gays."

The unexpected shout-out referenced a storyline from The White Lotus where Coolidge's character, Tanya, discovers a group of gay men plotting to murder her and steal her fortune. The show's memorable line, "These gays, they're trying to murder me!" became a pop-culture sensation.

Despite the joyous moment, Anthony Anderson's mother, Doris Bowman, serving as the Emmys 'play off mama,' stood up to remind Coolidge about the time constraint. "Baby, baby," Doris affectionately interjected, "I love you baby, but time. Time!"

---

The White Lotus starring Jennifer Coolidge won a total of six trophies at the Emmy Awards

The White Lotus dominated the Emmy Awards with six trophies, securing its place as one of the night's standout winners. The HBO series, centered around the Roy family's high-stakes battle for control of a global business empire, received the prestigious Best Drama award for its fourth and final season.

Jennifer Coolidge's victory marked her second Emmy win for portraying Tanya McQuoid, following her 2023 win for the first season. As she accepted the award, she humorously struggled with the weight of the trophy and thanked key figures in the production, including director Mark White and producer David Bernard.

Emphasizing her connection with the LGBTQ+ community, Jennifer Coolidge dedicated a significant portion of her speech to the "evil gays" and even named the actors who portrayed her on-screen tormentors—Paolo, Francesco, and Bruno. Urged to wrap up her speech, she concluded with a heartfelt message of encouragement:

"I had a little dream, in my little town, that everyone said was impractical and far-fetched, but it did happen after all. So don't give up on your dreams!"

---

It is worth noting that in 2022, Jennifer Coolidge won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie and for her role as Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus. During her speech, when it went on for quite a while and she was urged to leave the stage, she didn't go right away. Instead, she started dancing to the music they played.