Kelly Bundy she is not. Christina Applegate exemplified her sharp sense of humour on Monday night at the 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 from the stars in attendance.
While 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 been thriving since her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Christina 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 Christina 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).
However, one thing that is truly remarkable is Christina’s sense of humour, 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.