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Gaudiloquent? Munificent Venistation? Doddypoll?! Defining Catherine O'Hara's Remarkable Emmy Acceptance Speech

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | September 21, 2020 |

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | September 21, 2020 |


Catherine-O-Hara-Emmy-2020-Schitts-Creek.jpg

Last night, Schitt’s Creek rightfully won a slew of trophies at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. We’ve shared the celebration held by Dan and Eugene Levy along with the acceptance speeches that made us share happy tears. (See more on Schitt’s Creek’s Instagram.) However, one speech had us reaching for the dictionary because Catherine O’Hara’s brilliant mind doesn’t pander to the intellectually incurious.

First, take a listen to Catherine O’Hara’s reaction to winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her impeccable performance as Moira Rose.

Here is a full transcription of her remarkable acceptance speech:

How cool is it that Eugene has a microphone in his bedroom? This is so cool.

Thank you members of the Television Academy for nominating me alongside these very cool women and for topping off this fun evening with trophial treat.

I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for bestowing on the opportunity upon me to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be her ridiculous self. They gathered the most beautiful, fun-loving people in Toronto, cast and crew. And then—by example—led us all to be the best we could be for each other.

But I must provide an especially gaudiloquent tribute to Debra Hansen, our wardrobe whisperer, to my guardian makeup angel, Lucky Bromhead, and to our dare-doing hair wrangler, Ana Sorys. Every day their munificent venistation made me who I thought I was. And I would be an ungrateful doddypoll not to share it with them!

May I please wish you all a sound mind and a sound body. And though these are the strangest of days, may you have as much joy being holed up in a room or two with your family as I have with my dear Roses.

Thank you so much.

Now, let’s break this down.

How cool is it that Eugene has a microphone in his bedroom? This is so cool.

When the idea of a Schitt’s Creek Emmy party was first announced, it was imagined as a small affair at Levy’s home. So, O’Hara was teasing her co-star of decades with a jolly joke.

Thank you members of the Television Academy for nominating me alongside these very cool women and for topping off this fun evening with trophial treat.

The competition was intense in this category! O’Hara faced off against Christina Applegate (Dead to Me), Issa Rae (Insecure), Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish). Truly a year where it is an honor just to be nominated. Yet this is O’Hara’s first Emmy win for acting!

I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the bestowing on the opportunity upon me to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be her ridiculous self. They gathered the most beautiful fun-loving people in Toronto, cast and crew. And then—by example—led us all to be the best we could be for each other.

This father-and-son team co-created Schitt’s Creek, based the production in Canada, and brought together an incredible team who made this scrappy show with a weird title become an Emmy Award-winning sensation. Plus, they allowed an older actress to take on a role that rejected stodgy stereotypes. Moira Rose defied the sexist standard of how “women of a certain age” should be defined; she was divine.

But I must provide an especially gaudiloquent tribute to Debra Hansen, our wardrobe whisperer, to my guardian make-up angel, Lucky Bromhead, and to our dare-doing hair wrangler, Ana Sorys. Every day their munificent venistation made me who I thought I was. And I would be an ungrateful doddypoll not to share it with them!

Anyone who’s seen a single episode of Schitt’s Creek knows that Moira Rose’s unique style is a major component to her character. O’Hara is sharing her win with those who supported her performance with chic and outrageous costumes, bold and beautiful make-up, and wonderous wigs!

Debra Hansen worked on Schitt’s Creek since the beginning in 2015, and has won a string of honors for it, including The 2018 CAFTCAD award for Best Costume Design in TV Contemporary, the 2020 Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Television, and the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes.

Lucky Bromhead was nominated for an Emmy this year for Schitt’s Creek. The Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) was shared with Candice Ornstein for their work on the finale episode, “Happy Ending.” Bromhead has since moved onto to a gig on Canada’s Drag Race.

Ana Sorys alongside Annastasia Cucullo were also nominated for an Emmy for their work on the finale, which included their coiffure contribution to this look:

…gaudiloquent tribute…munificent venistation …ungrateful doddypoll…

Okay, these are the phrases most likely to have tripped up audiences. Even word-a-day calendar lovers might have been doing double-takes as O’Hara casually dropped some deliciously arcane diction, as these words aren’t in the average dictionary app. Here’s the breakdown of her verbal dazzle.

gaudiloquent - speaking joyfully on matters. Born from the Latin “gaud,” meaning feeling of pleasure and delight; joy, rejoice

doddypoll - a fool or stupid person. It dates back to roundabout 1400, pulling “poll” from Low German word for head, and “doddy” came from the Middle English word “dote,” which mean simpleton.

munificent - /myo͞oˈnifəsənt/ - larger or more generous than is usual or necessary. The word dates back to the late 16th century, born from Latin’s “munus,” meaning gift and “munificus” meaning bountiful.

venistation - This is how several sites have opted to spell that word in O’Hara’s speech. But “venistation definition” stumped Google. Are we misunderstanding her? Or was “venistation” a malapropism born of overwhelming excitement and some well-deserved champagne? For now, only Moira Rose knows.

While the diction details may have befuddled us, O’Hara’s exuberance gave context clues enough for Emmy watchers to understand. Then, she gave us some fresh phrases to work into our vocabulary. Go forth and do so with all the gusto of Moira Rose!

Can you solve the mystery of “venistation?”



Header Image Source: Schitt's Creek Official Instagram