emmys 2017

The Unexpected Emmy Winner of the Night Is D.C. Public Schools

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Don’t get us wrong — this year’s Emmys were filled to the brim with speeches both poignant and heartwarming. But sometimes you just want to laugh and think of the children. First-time Emmy winner Dave Chappelle knows that all too well, as he chose to diverge from the words on the teleprompter while presenting an award during the ceremony. (He blamed a lack of rehearsal.) “Shout out to D.C. public schools,†he said. Shortly thereafter, John Oliver also got in on the fun during his Last Week Tonight acceptance speech, giving the public school system an extra trending boost: “I would like to unexpectedly thank D.C. public schools, just to get it trending on Twitter for no reason.†Unsurprisingly, the term was trending on the social-media platform in a matter of minutes, as were the flurry of “why is this trending?†tweets from non–Emmy watchers. New York City has never been more jealous.

The Surprise Emmy Winner of the Night Is D.C. Public Schools