Tonight, Melissa McCarthy became the first woman to receive the Comedic Genius Award at the MTV Movie Awards. But she was very clear that she was following a long line of famous funny women. "I may be the first woman to receive this award, but I am certainly, certainly not the first one to deserve it," she explained in her acceptance speech.
And in case you were wondering who those funny women are, McCarthy listed all the female influences in her life. Included in her thank-you list were Carol Burnett, Jane Curtin, Phyllis Diller, Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diane Keaton, Tracey Ullman, Bette Midler, and Lily Tomlin.
Paying homage to some of the female comedy pioneers at the awards could introduce them to a whole new, younger audience. And of course, McCarthy also thanked her mom. The woman who raised McCarthy helped her grow into the fantastic comedian she is today by teaching her "not to worry about being likable or perfect." She also taught her daughter to "lovingly go for the kill."