The Case for Why Julia Louis-Dreyfus Needs to Exit Next Year's Emmy Race

Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus scored her record-breaking fifth consecutive Emmy last night for her portrayal of unhinged politico Selina Meyer and make no mistake — she deserved it.

In the HBO comedy’s fifth season, the Seinfeld vet revealed new layers of her hilariously narcissistic, acid-tongued alter ego. This was particularly the case in “Mother,” an episode that found Selina at her most relatable as she struggled to process the imminent death of her mom — a woman she loathed.

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The fact that Louis-Dreyfus is still able to surprise us this deep into Veep‘s run is a testament to her acting prowess, and is the reason she remains an unbeatable Emmy force.

But enough is enough. It’s time for Louis-Dreyfus to withdraw her name from Emmy consideration, beginning with next year’s contest.

There’s precedent for such a selfless act: In 1996, shortly after winning her fifth non-consecutive Lead Actress Emmy for Murphy Brown, Candice Bergen took herself out of the running in order to give one of her peers a shot at the gold statue. And that was back when there were, like, a dozen comedies on the air. In this era of #PeakTV, a Louis-Dreyfus-less Lead Actress competition would not only allow one of her overdue rivals to grab gold, but it would create a much-needed vacancy in the six-person race, paving the way for the Michaela Watkins’ and Constance Wus and Rachel Blooms of the world to sneak in.

And, as a producer on Veep, she would still have the chance to add to her enviable kudos collection (which also includes Emmys for The New Adventures of Old Christine and Seinfeld) should the show maintain its red-hot creative streak. And we would still get to look forward to what has become one of Emmy’s most reliably entertaining traditions: The Julia Louis-Dreyfus acceptance speech.

What do you think? Should Louis-Dreyfus take a knee, effective immediately? Vote below, and then elaborate in the comments.

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