httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON8GgznACY8

Thankfully, Carol Burnett received the Lifetime Achievement Award this year, and none other than America’s favorite awards show duo, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, introduced her-and none of them disappointed.

Following a lovely montage, Burnett took to the stage, and kicked off her speech with a joke about telling her whole life story and then proceeded to tell us her whole life story.

She delved into getting her start in a musical comedy revue, all along inserting her trademark wit and gift for gab, remembering her co-stars from her legendary variety show along the way.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the speech came when she talked about what she was told before The Carol Burnett came into fruition and became a huge hit.

I told them, that’s what I wanted to do, but they said, “Carol, no, no, no, no, look, look, all the comedy variety shows are hosted by men. Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, now Dean [Martin]-it’s really not for a gal. Comedy/variety is a man’s game.”

This little piece of history was a welcome reminder of just how monumental Burnett’s breakthrough as a comedian was, and how lucky we all are that she didn’t take no for an answer.

Carol Burnett