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Emily In Paris writer ‘stunned’ by show’s Golden Globes nods over ‘deserving’ I May Destroy You

A writer on Netflix’s Emily In Paris has written of her “rage” that another show wasn’t nominated at the Golden Globes.

Two Australian actresses in the running for a Golden Globe award

One of the writer’s on Emily In Paris has declared she was “stunned” by the series’ Golden Globes nominations.

Deborah Copaken, who penned the Netflix series loosely based on her own life experiences, says her excitement over being nominated for two awards has been trumped by “rage” due to another show’s snub.

HBO’s I May Destroy You, starring the brilliant Michaela Coel, was a notable omission from the 2021 nominations announcement yesterday, while Copaken’s fizzy Netflix comedy received two acknowledgments.

While Emily In Pariswas certainly popular on the streaming platform, Copaken admitted she never dreamt the show would be nominated for awards. “I don’t live under a rock,” she wrote in an editorial for The Guardian.

RELATED: Kaley Cuoco breaks down over Golden Globes nomination

Lilly Collins was nominated for Emily In Paris at the Golden Globes. Picture: Netflix
Lilly Collins was nominated for Emily In Paris at the Golden Globes. Picture: Netflix

Copaken added: “Am I excited that Emily In Paris was nominated? Yes. Of course. I’ve never been remotely close to seeing a Golden Globe statue up close, let alone being nominated for one. But that excitement is now unfortunately tempered by my rage over Coel’s snub.

“ThatI May Destroy You did not get one Golden Globe nod is not only wrong, it’s what is wrong with everything.

“(It’s) a work of sheer genius about the aftermath of a rape. That show, I told everyone who would listen, deserves to win all the awards.

“When it didn’t, I was stunned. I May Destroy You was not only my favourite show of 2020. It’s my favourite show ever.

“I had to watch it twice, just to understand how Coel did it.”

Watch I May Destroy You on BINGE. New customers get a 14-day free trial. Sign up at binge.com.au

As well as starring in it, Michaela Coel also wrote I May Destroy You. Picture: Binge
As well as starring in it, Michaela Coel also wrote I May Destroy You. Picture: Binge

Copaken said her fury stems from a wider issue of people of colour not being recognised at annual award shows.

“Yes, we need art that reflects all of our colours, not just some. But we also need to give awards to shows (and music and films and plays and musicals) that deserve them, no matter the colour of the skin of their creators,” she wrote.

“Is Hamilton great because Lin-Manuel Miranda is Puerto Rican? No. It’s great because it bangs.

“By that same token, how anyone can watch I May Destroy You and not call it a brilliant work of art or Michaela Coel a genius is beyond my capacity to understand how these decisions are made.”

RELATED: SAG Awards 2021 nominations announced

The BBC One and HBO comedy-drama focuses on writer Arabella Essiedu (Coel) who is considered a voice for millennials thanks to her popular debut book Chronicles Of A Fed-Up Millennial.

On deadline for her second book, Arabella heads out in London to ease her stress when her drink is spiked on a night out and she is raped.

What follows is Arabella’s distressing journey of trying to piece together what happened to her, and the devastating impact of sexual trauma on victims.

I May Destroy You streams on Binge

Originally published as Emily In Paris writer ‘stunned’ by show’s Golden Globes nods over ‘deserving’ I May Destroy You

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/emily-in-paris-writer-stunned-by-shows-golden-globes-nods-over-deserving-i-may-destroy-you/news-story/e6c5f228136435ddd1529ae0aae3e262