My Name is Earl writer disses teacher, God

LOS ANGELES - Who says you have to say thank you at an awards ceremony?

Producer and writer Greg Garcia did not have the time to thank everybody who helped him win an Emmy for writing "My Name is Earl" on Sunday night. So he talked about the people he didn't want to thank.

It may have been an Emmy acceptance speech breakthrough - trashing the people who annoyed you on the way to the top.

"My eighth-grade social studies teacher who told me to sit down and shut up because I wasn't funny. No, thank you Mr. McAdoo," Garcia said from the stage of the 58th annual Emmy Awards amid laughter.

He added: "My boss when I was a production assistant on the show 'Step by Step' who made me clean the gum off the executive producer's shoe. .... And finally God. I am sure you are responsible in some way, but you took my hair and that's not cool man."

Backstage, the balding Garcia assured reporters he was only "ribbing" God but the other two remained on his list.

Jon Stewart whose "The Daily Show" won an Emmy for best variety series, was a lot more humble than Garcia. "I think this year you actually made a terrible mistake," he told the audience.

- REUTERS