And I’m glad I chose not to review them because this year’s show was utterly and completely classless. That’s all I can say. Felicity Huffman jokes. Cosby jokes. Roseanne jokes. Instead of having a host they had Anthony Anderson and his mother steal Emmys. Think about it. That looks good. The show was a pathetic attempt to be funny and edgy and thus obliterate any stature and prestige the ceremony was supposed to celebrate.
And since it was on Fox we got the fucking MASKED SINGER shoved down our throats. More excellence in television. Oh, and can we NEVER see Ken Jeong again? NEVER EVER.
The nominees deserved more respect. The winners deserved more respect. And it’s time the industry take a good hard look at how they present themselves to the viewing public. Last night’s ceremony was a disgrace.
61 comments :
Re the Emmy show ... two words: THOMAS LENNON! One more word: OY!
I imagined Thomas Lennon sinking ever lower into his chair as he read one lame joke after another...
The networks should team up and tell the Television Academy, "We're through carrying the Emmys until we get more of a dog in the fight (the 16 Emmys won by ABC/CBS/Fox/NBC marked a record low). Until separate categories are established for the CW and ourselves, which operate under different criteria, we're out of the hosting business."
At least network seasons begin this week. I'm really pulling hard for Chuck Lorre's "Bob (Hearts) Abishola" tonight -- love the premise (white Detroit businessman falls for black Nigerian immigrant cardiac nurse who guided him back to health).
One solution is to simply not televise the awards. Have a nice banquet and hand them out in private (like pretty much every other industry). Keep it focused on celebrating the work amongst professionals instead of trying to create an entertaining show for the masses.
If it's any consolation, The Masked Singer is coming to UK TV and Ken Jeong will be coming across as well to be a judge on the British version. So we'll have to suffer him for a while. You're welcome.
You're overstating a little. *One* Felicity Huffman joke. *One* Cosby/Roseanne joke (combined, and consider the source: Seth MacFarlane). But yes, the opening was horrifying.
You said it best yourself a few years ago. They ran a montage of reality TV clips, a bunch of people yelling at each other and foul language being bleeped out. This is the "excellence" in television we're celebrating tonight.
As for no host, what do you expect... they pick someone to host, dig into their past like homicide detectives, find out the person farted in church one time, and now they have to be boycotted.
Gloria Vanderbilt on the obit reel? What sitcom was she in? And omitting Peter Tork? Sacrilege.
I don’t get it. Virtually no network recognition. Embarrassing shows. Zero ratings. Why would The major networks continue to broadcast it? I see no upside.
Was this clip shown yesterday?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In8I3ijkP1o
If so, it was pathetic. Seth's cartoons and the Emmys are made for each other.
Seth MacFarlane is a scum in the league of Bill Cosby.
You know it was bad when even the Bob Newhart segment wasn't funny. The setup was humorous, but the execution was terrible.
The "LASIK presentation" was particularly distasteful. The nominees worked hard to be nominated, but they were disrespected by the presenters not even announcing their real names. (The names were captioned when the actors were shown.) "Our joke is more important than honoring you."
I just watched the highlights :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_27wK4FreI
1. People laughed at the Kardashians? 😂😂😂
2. What's with Michelle Williams playing a victim? She didn't ask for the proper pay for that Kevin Spacey movie re-shoot. Her agents screwed up. Then later Mark Wahlberg donated his salary to her favorite charity and that issue is over. What's she gibbering on ...... ???
She is a millionaire and her father is a billionaire, but still she plays a poor victim for the camera. Who is she fooling?
She is the new Anne Hathaway - Gwyneth Paltrow ---- annoying bitch!!!
Other than that, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
At least they didn't give the Game of Throne final abomination the award for best writing. That's something...
I watched the whole thing, too, and there was one redeeming moment: When the Kardashian sisters were earnestly talking about reality television and they got laughed at. I won't say that it made up for everything else, but I enjoyed that moment a lot.
I agree with some others, that broadcast networks really do work under very different criteria, expectations, and business models and that there should be a separate category for network comedies and dramas.
The industry is at a new low...It needs a Jesus Christ figure to have it rise from the depths of non creative HELL...
You missed an entertaining football game on NBC. The Rams and Browns, instead of a shootout, faced off in a defensive battle, which came down to the final minute... With the Kroenkes prevailing.
I don't think broadcast, which is under strict S&P guidelines, can expect to beat out Cable/streaming shows which are free to do anything they wish. Broadfcast may beat streaming when it comes to viewers but Emmy voters like shows that push the envelope even if only 5 people watch. One solution is to bifurcate the awards; one set for broadcast, another for cable/streaming. Best show, best writing, best acting, etc. for the beast broadcast show, and the same awards for cable/stereaming.
Best comment so far came from my old radio friend Paul Harris: “I don’t wanna say Thomas Lennon’s dumb commentary on The Emmys is full of references that are too obscure, but Dennis Miller doesn’t even get them.”
Hey, I thought you'd be happy, they wrapped it up in three hours, that's a new record isn't it? What didn't sit right with me was NO BAND. They just played CDs. Are you kidding me?
Stop sugar coating it. Tell us how you really feel.
This "platinum" age of television has ten million shows to choose from now and most of the country has never heard of any of them.
The Family Guy bit was about the only thing that was even in the neighborhood of funny. Oh, and Maya Rudolph and that guy pretending they couldn't read.
I have never watched the Emmy telecast. The Oscars were the only award show I watched- and I haven't viewed the Oscars for about 15 or so years. At first I didn't watch the Emmys because they gave awards to stuff that came into in our living room every week. Now I don't watch because they give awards for stuff that doesn't come into my living room unless I pay the subscription fee.
Many many years ago a friend of mine told me she never watched award shows because they were nothing but "group masturbation festivals". Whenever I see a commercial for the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, etc.. I remember that remark.
I'm old enough to remember the Cable ACE Awards, which judged made-for-cable product on its own merits, separate from the major OTA networks. Wiki reminded me that ACE stood for Award for Cable Excellence. Hmmm...Award for Streaming Shows. Maybe that needs more work...
"utterly and completely classless.."
"...thus obliterate any stature and prestige..."
"...a disgrace"
Sound like any country you may have heard of before? We're a state of institutional meltdown across the board, and it is a product decades in the making. Sorry, but this isn't a drill. This what the chaos caused by corruption and degrading standards really looks like, and it will only get worse.
Would you like me to add that we're about to start a major war with Iran and that global climate change is now irreversible? Okay, I won't go there. I realize that it's Monday, after all.
But yes, the Emmys are done.
It's sad to say, but I think the Bob Newhart skit indicated that he could be in poor health. He looked considerably older than he did in guest appearances on "The Big Bang Theory" just a year or two ago, when he seemed relatively spry for his age. And I'm guessing the "wax statue" joke may have been written to work around mobility issues.
I only saw the last hour or so. Viola Davis is a fine actress, but she walked onstage like a tired letter carrier. And Wikipedia says Gloria Vanderbilt did a lot of acting in the early days of TV (Playhouse 90, etc.), and a much later appearance on THE LOVE BOAT. I always watch the In Memoriam to see who died; I didn't know about Seymour Cassel and Arte Johnson. The rest was mostly "Who? Never saw that show. Never heard of it."
I didn't watch, didn't intend to watch and I feel that I missed nothing.
A prime reason why network tv is a gasping writhing dinosaur. Kodak knew it would be dead in 1981 and did nothing. Sound familiar?
Sounds like I made the right call sitting them out. But I'm out of the award show audience anymore anyway. I am not in the right demographic for music and TV, don't go to NYC for the theatre, and I stopped going to the movies after my wife hurt her back. The last awards show I enjoyed was the Grammys in 2011, the Aretha Franklin Tribute.
But I love getting Ken and the gang's take.
I watched the Emmys religiously from the 1970s to about 2014 or so, when I noted that since I had never seen many of the shows that were winning, I had no rooting interest. Three (or more) hours of my life.
I agree with what Roy commented. But then.....Everyone Wants Maya Rudolph as an Awards Host.
https://www.etonline.com/emmys-2019-everyone-wants-maya-rudolph-as-an-awards-host-after-another-hilarious-presenting-bit
What the FUCK is wrong with this world !!?
Viola Davis at Oscars : We are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.
That cringe worthy statement was debated for 2 days here on this blog.
Now this asshole Bill Porter : "We, us artists, are the people that get to change the molecular structure of the hearts and the minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don't ever stop doing that; please don't ever stop telling the truth."
When will these dumb fucks learn that they are not the center of the World and that life on this Planet doesn't depend on them?
For the first time ever I have not seen even one of the shows that won an award....not ONE. I tried watching but gave up after one round of Thomas Lennon's "jokes", the CD walk up music [Hoped they paid the royalties]. I did more enjoyable things like trying to cut off a bleeding cuticle, masturbating with sandpaper and lancing boils.
Ken, I agree with you 100% on this. I tuned in just as the segment with Bob Newhart was starting, and the way that went made me cringe so badly I turned the television off and went to bed.
Michelle shed light on a very important issue and specifically made a point to intersectional and call out how Black women (who didn't have a stage to speak on last nite) have it worse and it all needs to be corrected. She wasn't playing the victim. Facts are still facts. She took what could've easily been a "me" moment and made it about others. One of the highlights of the night.
Diane Chambers won an ACE award.
I enjoyed your review. It's right on the money. Wait, never mind... forgot you aren't "reviewing" them ;)
To me that show just seems like a Mike and Molly clone with a more diverse cast.
However given Lorre's track record creating shows over the last 16 years, dating back to Two and a Half Men, it will probably grow into an inexplicably popular ratings monster just like his other shows.
I still say Lorre's luck has to run out sooner or later. His success wouldn't bother me if I thought any of his shows were worthy of the ratings they receive, but I don't. The only one I watch regularly is Young Sheldon.
On the whole, I find the writing in Lorre's shows to be just good enough to get by. It's not memorable or original.
I just watched the In Memoriam on YouTube. Two observations:
1) Halsey is a very beautiful woman and has a lovely voice. I'm no prude, but dressing like you're going to Charlie Sheen's house for breakfast isn't really suitable for a segment remembering those who've died. The focus should be on those who've passed, not on how hot the singer is.
2) Awards shows need to introduce a new rule instructing the audience in attendance not to clap any of the names. The problem is that they go silent when it's a lesser known name and the contrast is jarring and demeaning to that person. Big applause for Carol Channing. Tumbleweed for studio executive or director of photography. Not good.
best thing was Billy Porters hat
Is it just me, or does anyone else notice how the Emmys never do well when they air on FOX?
Blogger Bob said...
Best comment so far came from my old radio friend Paul Harris: “I don’t wanna say Thomas Lennon’s dumb commentary on The Emmys is full of references that are too obscure, but Dennis Miller doesn’t even get them.”
First time in a long time I actually laughed out loud at a comment.
I didn't watch any of it, haven't for a long time. Last award show I watched, I think Outkast won best new artist. And once upon a time, I always watched.
Marv, I understand your words but you probably have hit into a much bigger problem with the Academy. Just because a program has blood and gore, cursing, and nudity doesn't make it a good show.
But the voters fall all over themselves for weak shows on premium cable and streaming INTERNET that try to use these devices as putty to fill the cracks of their vapid programs. Amazing how acclaimed shows such as the Sopranos and Sex and the City completely die in syndication because all of this has to be stripped out.
As long as the Academy continues to believe that shock value TV is good TV, broadcast television will never be honored.
Another layer of cheese was the prerecorded music. For television's loftiest night, they couldn't afford live music? It was bad enough when synthesizers began replacing actual instruments, but now we get a deejay along with the snide commentary from Lennon. And whatever "music" that was during the Adam Devine variety "tribute" was amateur hour personified.
To hear Cranston tell us how "damn" good TV is on the night I was watching this train wreck added insult to injury. Overall, the worst Emmy telecast I've ever seen.
Peter said...
I just watched the In Memoriam on YouTube... Awards shows need to introduce a new rule instructing the audience in attendance not to clap any of the names.
They do... At the Emmys they make an announcement to the audience during the commercial break before the "In Memoriam" segment. The actual announcement is along the lines of "please hold your applause until the end of the presentation", that way it's not for anyone in particular. People just forget or can't help themselves. It's probably more muted than it would have been without the announcement and the largest applause is at the end of the segment.
For the longest time now, the Emmys were the only awards show I bothered with anymore. But, besides watching less prime time, just mainly a couple morning shows, the late night shows, more news programming and most often stuff on YouTube, I usually find their choices for winners disappointing. The last straw was not even a nomination for D'Arcy Carden of The Good Place, when she gave a definite Emmy-worthy performance (if the Emmy is even worthy anymore) as the Janet version of the other main characters. Amazing work there!
Plus, I had dinner at a friend's place and the usual Sunday night online oldies/classic hits shows (where you can see the DJs work as well as communicate in the chat room) to dominate my night anyway, so it'd be harder watching it at the same time if I did plan on doing that.
I watch several Emmy clips from the 70's and 80's and YouTube and it just so happens that pretty much every award winner came from a program that you could watch free over the air.
In the words of late, great Tom Petty:
'As we celebrate mediocrity all the boys upstairs want to see
How much you'll pay for what you used to get for free.'
I don't care what the trendsetters say; this is NOT the second Golden Age of Television.
I don't know. I thought it was funny until they got to the Drama awards (when they stopped trying to be humorous).
A vast majority of people seem to bemoan every single awards show these days. It seems like a win-win situation though. The detractors seem to receive as much enjoyment watching and criticizing awards shows, as I enjoy watching the funny segments.
I think injecting humor is a step in the right direction; rather than having presenters dully recite nominees and winners. It might just be a generational thing though.
Not to bring up old drama, but...
"Humor should push boundaries. It should shine a light on our absurdities, hypocrisies, and foibles. That doesn’t necessarily mean “mean spirited,” but it also doesn’t mean we must avoid offending everyone at all costs. Yes, some of the humor is pointed at us, but we used to be a society that could handle that. We used to be able to laugh at ourselves. We didn’t need safe rooms. "
Three days later.
"And I’m glad I chose not to review them because this year’s show was utterly and completely classless. That’s all I can say. Felicity Huffman jokes. Cosby jokes. Roseanne jokes. Instead of having a host they had Anthony Anderson and his mother steal Emmys. Think about it. That looks good. The show was a pathetic attempt to be funny and edgy and thus obliterate any stature and prestige the ceremony was supposed to celebrate."
This is cancel culture. Which is to say, it's not actually cancelling anything. It's showing displeasure and hoping that opinion is shared. Maybe by enough people to change the culture away from whatever it is that bothers you. There it is.
It's that simple.
Chris,
I'm all for edgy jokes. I've made Felicity Huffman jokes myself. But the Emmys was not an appropriate venue. The tone is supposed to be prestigious. Those jokes were just out of place in that arena. There's a line comics use -- "know the house." You wan to do the same Felicity Huffman joke on John Oliver's show or Samantha Bee's I say go for it. Just not on the Emmys.
Lots of people agreeing with you and making fun of the broadcast (rightly so), so I will take the road less traveled.
I'm curious what you think a suitable alternative is for this awards show, because I don't have any bright ideas. Granted, I'm no writer, but it seems that vaudevillian displays are not enjoyed by the masses and the people who watch these awards shows. In part, it seems we're saturated with many other complex productions. In part, many viewers just wouldn't appreciate why the musical lyrics are supposed to be funny (similar to older movies/shows, something you touched on not long ago).
Of course, saturation of musical dance numbers pales in comparison to saturation of ironic and topical humor. I'm not sure what the presenters are supposed to make jokes about that people will laugh at except scripted self-deprecation and topical material (and a lot of that won't spur laughter either, but they have to try, don't they?).
And so we're left with somewhere between 30 and 100 celebrity hosts and presenters, all taking a minute or two to try to stay relevant amongst their peers and the viewers with some easy jokes that will be arguably more likely to land with the lowest common denominator.
What is the solution, not just for the Emmys but for award shows in general?
It also just didn't work as a joke because she's not in jail right now and won't be for awhile.
I will agree that the Emmy Awards were a strange affair, but it wasn't a complete washout. This made my night and seeing these men getting a standing ovation was an artful repudiation of the current administration.
https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/emmys-2019-jharrel-jerome-thanks-the-exonerated-five.html
For those who didn't see the series, here is what I am referring to:
https://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/when-they-see-us-donald-trump-involved-central-park-five-jogger-case
This small act doesn't buy back the lives and repair the damage of all affected, but I was glad I sat through awful pageantry to get to that moment. Let's try to remember that when we head to the polls.
Ken, I was so busy watching paint dry that I totally forgot it was on.
Also, let's not forget these moments. It ai not Nobel Prize work, but if it made someone less alone, I'm for it.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/09/22/emmys-2019-billy-porter-patricia-arquette-emmys-queerest-ever/2415739001/
One of the reasons I enjoy this blog is the fact that "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H" were great shows, in part, due to the man who owns this blog, but let's not forget the context. We are not here rhapsodizing about "Delta House" or "I Married Dora" because the TV of that day had a LOT of dross (and yes, some things don't change, regarding the quality-to-dross ratio), which makes them good shows even better. I'll watch "Frasier" any day before I feel the need to opine for the lack of a "Between Brothers" DVD release.
There were some good moments, albeit few of them, maybe fewer than usual for those who are counting, but there were some. This is coming from a guy who was reminded that Jet Magazine used to publish a TV column to alert their readers when Black people were going to be shown on TV.
It may be less worthwhile to dig, but dig we should; sometimes it's worth it.
As if it wasn't bad enough, it turns out that the Emmys used a photo of the very alive conductor Leonard Slatkin for Andre Previn's In Memoriam.
They've got some real top notch folks working on the show.
You know how little interest there was in this awards show? I can't find it on the *torrent sites*.
wg
The general public isn't buying. The general public is sick of celebrities that aren't celebrities. These are people who "stand up" and "fearlessly" make statements that are safe within their community -- that even help them within their cliques and prospective next rungs on the career ladder. They cherry pick their causes and ignore others.
They praise celebrities one year and make fun of them another. Let's go back to the Emmy broadcast where an actor gushed at "what an honor it was to share the stage" or "breath the same air" as Bill Cosby, Kevin Spacey, Roseanne Barr, shall we go on? They may have even known some of the sordid truths, but why not suck up live on TV?
The general public wants to be entertained. These people aren't entertaining. They're good at preaching to their choir. People are working harder and earning less. Why watch rich people hand each other awards, praise each other one year, hate and make fun of each other another, and tell you what to think (even if you agree with them)?
And no, I am NOT a Trump supporter. It's just that the general public is sick of this and that's why few people watched. It's bad entertainment, made for the ones doing it rather than the audience. More and more, the audience is being forgotten. Even the audience that likes and agrees with the so called celebrities. It's like they don't care that we're there anymore.
@ "We, us artists, are the people that get to change the molecular structure of the hearts and the minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don't ever stop doing that; please don't ever stop telling the truth."
Ken, you'd better stop with the Gilligan's Island trashing. He's been changing the molecular structure of the hearts and the minds of the people who live on this planet.
Well, Bob is 90 years old, so he is doing well.
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