Kelly Bundy she is not. Christina Applegate exemplified her sharp sense of humor Monday night at the 75th Emmy Awards.
As the “Dead to Me” star walked onto the Emmys’ stage — with help from the ceremony’s host, Anthony Anderson — to present an award, she received a standing ovation.
Although the veteran TV actor deserved the gesture due to her years of excellent work in her industry, it’s hard to ignore that the standing ovation may have also been a tribute to how she’s thriving since her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Applegate appeared to find the collective act pretty touching.
But she also couldn’t help but point out the irony of the situation.
“Thank you so much. Oh, my God. You’re totally shaming me, with disability, for standing up,” she quipped. “It’s fine! Body not by Ozempic.”
But as Applegate continued her speech, she noticed that the audience was clapping and cheering after practically every word that came out of her mouth, and she eventually said:
“We don’t have to applaud every time I do something.”
It’s unclear if the “Married... With Children” alum was starting to see some ableism seep into the audience’s over-the-top reaction or if she was just trying to move on with her speech. But it’s important to note that a disabled person giving a speech — or doing something that a non-disabled person could easily do — isn’t extraordinary (and thinking it is extraordinary contributes to ableism).
But one thing that is truly remarkable is Applegate’s sense of humor, and she’s consistently used this talent to show that there’s no need to feel awkward around someone with a disability.
“When people see me now as a disabled person, I want them to feel comfortable that we can laugh about it,” the “Samantha Who?” alum told talk-show host Kelly Clarkson in December. But she also admitted that the “humor shield” she uses “keeps me OK, but, of course, down on the insides, you feel the things.”
But that didn’t stop her from performing a “disabled” version of “Santa Baby” on Clarkson’s show as well, which had the following verse:
“Disaby baby, hurry down the chimney tonight / I can’t / ’cause my wheelchair won’t fit down it.”