Sofia Vergara hits back at Emmy Awards critics

Actress Sofia Vergara has urged critics of her Emmy Awards appearance to "lighten up" after her turn on stage was branded sexist.

The Modern Family star was stood on a rotating pedestal while the president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the body behind the prizegiving, gave a speech during the awards show in Los Angeles on Monday night (25Aug14).

Bruce Rosenblum used Vergara as an example of the TV industry giving audiences "something compelling to look at", and the stunt sparked a slew of criticism on Twitter.com, with many viewers accusing academy bosses of objectifying the actress.

However, Vergara is adamant the stunt was simply a humorous skit, telling reporters, "I think it's absolutely the opposite (of objectification). It means that somebody can be hot and also be funny and make fun of herself. I think it's ridiculous that somebody started this... who has no sense of humour (and should) lighten up a little bit (sic)."