There are serious problems with the Emmys. There are way too many awards. The people who do the nominating apparently don’t watch the shows they nominate, and far too often, the best shows and the best performances are overlooked, while the same old shows and same old performers keep winning year in and year out.
And I couldn’t help but wonder, as I watched the show, if most of the people who won Emmys really cared all that much.
Some actors looked relieved when they lost, and some looked dismayed when they won.
And acceptance speeches often seemed more like comedy routines than heartfelt thank-yous.
Don’t get me started on the nominating process, or the fact that Barry Manilow (who’s skin is so taut sweat must bounce off of him) beat out Stephen Colbert, or that “Project Runway” did not win as best reality show, or that Megan Mullally won an Emmy for the pathetic last season of “Will & Grace.”
I yelled at the TV a few times. I shook my head in disgust plenty of times, and I kept thinking I really need to subscribe to HBO because every other show nominated comes from it. I’m out of touch.
But I kept watching because the show was funny. And when it wasn’t funny, it was odd. The tribute to Aaron Spelling, in which the original Charlie’s Angels reunited, was excruciating. All I could feel as stars paid their tributes was raging egos.
And watching the endless array of face lifts, breast enhancements, perfect teeth and ever thinning starlets, I wondered if anyone in Hollywood looks real anymore?
But it was never boring.
Conan O’Brien was a great host (someone should tap him to host the Oscars next year), and he kept the show going through thick and thin.
I loved his production number. He took the song “Trouble” from “The Music Man” and turned it into a parody of NBC’s troubles, now that the network is in fourth place.
The filmed pieces were smart and savvy, even if the opening one, about Conan being in a plane crash, suffered from bad timing.
And the tribute to Dick Clark was well done and nicely emotional even if Simon Cowell doesn’t know how to pronounce the word television.
If they hired me to fix the Emmys (which they should definitely do!) I would require that the people who nominate shows actually enjoy watching television (or as Simon Cowell says, teleeeevision) and know a little bit about it.
And I’d cut back on the number of awards handed out, because right now there are so many you feel like you’re watching a kindergarten class award presentation where everyone is a winner.
And I’d make it a rule that you can only win so many Emmys in your lifetime. I think most of the multi-winners would like it that way.
I swear I saw a look of relief on Candice Bergen’s face when she didn’t win yet another Emmy (this time for “Boston Legal”) and a look of irritation on Tony Shalhoub’s face when he won, yet again, for “Monk.”
Or maybe that was just me reflected in the TV screen wondering why Steve Carell wasn’t running up there to pick up the Emmy that so obviously belongs to him!
Oh, don’t get me started...
——— Jane Holahan is a New Era staff writer. Her column appears every other Wednesday
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