Michelle Yeoh Seemingly Shades Don Lemon During Best Actress Oscar Acceptance Speech

Michael Hein

03/14/2023 11:33 am EDT

Michelle Yeoh won her first Oscar on Sunday night at the age of 60, and many viewers believe she threw shade at CNN anchor Don Lemon in her acceptance speech. Yeoh addressed the audience in the theater and at home when she said: "ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime." Many took this as a reference to Lemon's recent controversial comments on CNN This Morning.

Lemon landed himself in hot water last month while reporting on Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. His remarks there had a very specific context, as Haley was saying that her opponents in the election did not have the "mental competency" to hold the office, and Lemon quipped that 51-year-old Haley "isn't in her prime" either. In the conversation that followed Lemon made some controversial generalizations, ultimately leading to a public apology from him and the network. His comments struck a nerve as many took them to imply that women past "child-bearing age" no longer have any value to society.

Viewers rankled by those comments felt vindicated by Yeoh on Sunday night. She said: "For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up!"

Many commenters drew a connection between this speech and Lemon's comments, and some even suggested that it was intentional. Others wondered why Yeoh would use this moment to call out a cable news anchor, believing she was referencing a more general trend in the entertainment industry. The controversy inevitably led users to rehash the Lemon controversy as a whole. Here's a look at how the conversation played out.

Drawing Attention

Whether Yeoh was calling out Lemon or not, many fans were. Several people tagged Lemon and CNN in tweets about Yeoh's speech, making the connection explicit.

Generalization

Many viewers thought that the connection to Lemon's comment was tenuous at best. They assumed that Yeoh was being more general than that.

CNN Ommission

While some news outlets covered the perceived connection to Lemon, viewers noted that CNN did not draw that connection when it reported on Yeoh's historic victory.

Triumphant

Of course, many viewers simply enjoyed Yeoh's victory at face value and took the inspiration exactly as she said in her speech, without reading between the lines.

Unexpected

Of all the conversations the Oscars could have started, many fans were surprised that it brought the Lemon argument back around.

Beneath Her

Some fans felt that it would be beneath Yeoh to make a comment about Lemon during one of the most triumphant moments of her life. They felt certain she was referring to the misogyny in Hollywood more generally.

Lemon's Reaction

Whether Yeoh was referring to Lemon or not, fans speculated that Lemon must be feeling the heat once again as viewers interpreted it that way. So far the anchor has not said anything about Yeoh's speech or the social media fallout that followed.

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