Say What? Our Favourite Boomer Quotes from the 2017 Emmys

The 69^th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are in the books, with host Stephen Colbert and a slew of presenters, honorees and guests – including a 9 to 5 reunion of Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and the pairing of Norman Lear and Carol Burnett – offering some of the best lines of the night.

Below, we’ve compiled our favourite boomer quotes, quips and jokes from the 2017 Emmy Awards.

* “This is TV’s highest honour – us celebrating us. Tonight, we binge ourselves.” – Stephen Colbert, 53, during his opening monologue.

* “Donald Trump hosted The Apprentice but never won an Emmy. I bet if he won an Emmy, he would never have run for President. So in a way, this is all your fault … But he didn’t [win]. Because unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” – Stephen Colbert

* “Most of all I have to thank Winston Churchill. In these crazy times, his life even as an old man reminds us what courage and leadership in government really looks like.” – John Lithgow, 71, accepting the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for The Crown

* “To Margaret Atwood, who scared the living crap out of me when I was in college.” – Bruce Miller, recalling reading The Handmaid’s Tale in school while accepting the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for The Handmaid’s Tale.

* “I suppose I should say at long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.” – Alec Baldwin, 59, accepting the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

* Jane Fonda, 79: “In [9 to 5] we refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotist, lying hypocritical bigot.”

   Lily Tomlin, 78: “And in 2017 we still refuse to be controlled by a sexist, egotist, lying hypocritical bigot.”

* “I know all about support. If it hadn’t been for good support, shock and awe here would be sloppy and droopy.” – Dolly Parton, 71, quipping about her chest.

* “I’d like to thank Oprah because she’s sitting right there and it seems inappropriate not to.” – John Oliver, 40, when accepting the award for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

* “I’ve been acting for a long time so that this should happen now, I don’t have the words.” – Ann Dowd, 61, accepting her first Emmy, awarded for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Handmaid’s Tale.

* “We did have a whole storyline about an impeachment but we abandoned it because we were worried someone else might get to it first.” – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 56, while accepting the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep. With the win she set the record for most Emmy wins for playing the same role on the same series with five statuettes and tied Cloris Leachman for most overall Emmys won by a female performer, with eight.

* “You’re looking at 125 years of television comedy experience and it’s been laughter all the way … I’ve always believed that laughter adds time to our lives, and no one has added more time to my life than this woman, Carol Burnett.” – Norman Lear, 95, presenting on stage alongside Carol Burnett, 84.

* “You are the best white TV family that a brother has ever had. Better than Mr.Drummond and those people that raised Webster.” – Sterling K. Brown, 41, thanking his TV family while accepting the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for This Is Us

And, of course, though she didn’t say a word, we can’t forget Margaret Atwood, the First Lady of Canadian Letters and author of The Handmaid’s Tale (and current Zoomer cover subject), who appeared on stage to close the night as the show based on her book picked up the award for Outstanding Drama series.

Photo: Entertainment Weekly/Twitter

As Elisabeth Moss, who won the the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her starring role in the show said upon accepting the statuette, “Margaret Atwood – thank you for what you did in 1985 and thank you for what you continue to do, for all of us.”