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Here's why Lena Dunham's Emmys post has annoyed loads of Instagram users

The actress forgot to congratulate Viola Davis and all hell broke loose…

AS YOU ARE probably fully aware, the Primetime Emmy Awards took place in Los Angeles last night.

It was perhaps the most diverse Emmys ceremony ever with Viola Davis making history by becoming the first ever African-American actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Other African-American actresses to win trophies included Uzo Aduba and Regina King.

67th Primetime Emmy Awards - Show Phil McCarten Phil McCarten

Last night, Lena Dunham took to Instagram to applaud the “radical women” who were at last night’s Emmys.

The actress posted a photo of Barbra Streisand holding an Emmy Award and wrote, “This pic is dedicated to the radical women I worship from up close and afar who were all over tonight’s Emmys.”

This pic is dedicated to the radical women I worship from up close and afar who were all over tonight's Emmys. @amyschumer @jillsoloway @carrie_rachel @zoetrope9 @hereisgina @uzoaduba, @violadavis @iamreginaking, @officialJLD, Jane Anderson, L Cholodenko, Al Janney, Paulson, Amy P, Gabs H, her Majesty Fran McD and so many more you know who you are and your magic is lifting us higher! lenadunham lenadunham

She then went on to namecheck several of the night’s winners and nominees, including Amy Schumer, Amy Poehler and Frances McDormand.

But she attracted the ire of many followers by neglecting to namecheck Viola Davis and the other women of colour in the post. Others took issue with Dunham using a photo of a white woman to celebrate an historic night for black performers.

lena Lena Dunham / Instagram Lena Dunham / Instagram / Instagram

lena2 Lena Dunham / Instagram Lena Dunham / Instagram / Instagram

lean3 Lena Dunham / Instagram Lena Dunham / Instagram / Instagram

lena4 Lena Dunham / Instagram Lena Dunham / Instagram / Instagram

Dunham later denied that she forgot them and told a follower that she was simply looking for the actresses’ Instagram handles. (She later updated the post and namechecked all three actresses.)

lenad Lena Dunham / Instagram Lena Dunham / Instagram / Instagram

She also defended her choice of photo.

I hear you but I love what Barbra represented at the time she represented it- a distinctly and unabashedly different woman taking the world by storm. And that’s what all the lady Emmy winners did last night.

But people were still having none of it.

This evening, Dunham shared a photo of Viola Davis and defended last night’s post, blaming the omissions on tiredness.

Y’all I could never forget Viola. Her work, her power, her speech. I was trying to remember every Emmy winning woman in my late night post last night (I do my own Instagram and I often do it half asleep) and updating the names in real time- in the first iteration of the post I called her simply Viola as I didn’t know she was an insta presence.

“In any case, today isn’t about me defending myself,” she continued. “It’s about celebrating all that was historic and beautiful about last night. Congratulations.”

Many have applauded Dunham for acknowledging the error, while others have called on the actress to “practice what [she] preaches” and cast actors of colour in Girls.

lena

Previously: 12 important bits you might have missed from last night’s Emmys >

Author
Amy O'Connor
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