I love television, really I do. But why isn’t the annual celebration of the medium better written than last night’s Emmys? It wasn’t merely dull (a bad enough offense) but it was far worse: it was unfunny and not entertaining.
Really though, are the writers still on strike?
Some of the worst: Josh Grobin singing a medley of tv show themes? Horrible. An laugh-free Laugh In tribute? Unthinkable. And an agonizingly long Jimmy Kimmel (who, to me, personifies "unfunny" and "untalented" to begin with) "skit" where he gathered the five reality show hosts who had been MCs for the Emmys all night long (a questionable decision in the first place) and ‘judged’ them according to the standards of their own shows. It was about as funny as it sounds on par with watching a campfire skit done at the end of the summer by 12 year olds for their counselors and parents. Cute to the children's parents but not worth televising to the world.
Poor Jeff Probst who has to watch people eat bugs on Survivor watched it all with a forced (dimpled) smile as the show imploded in on itself as the bit went on and on and on. At least he won a statue for his trouble.
The above wouldn’t have been SO bad had time not been taken away from more talented presenters who no doubt have more laughs and more engaging personalities to share than all the above combined.
Still, there were a few highlights — Don Rickles and Kathy Griffen brightened up the place quite abit with spontaneous material (but as soon as they went to the teleprompter, the show died instantly again.. again, who is writing this show??) and Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart made an apt and hilarious allegorical political joke about wanting a shriveled prune over a young ripe plum. So, too having Betty White and Mary Tyler Moore appear to give out the Best Comedy Show award (to 30 Rock) was about as direct a ‘pass the baton’ moment as life gets. It was also nice to see Tommy Smothers get long overdue recognition for his work, and his "truth is what you can get people to believe" is probably the most brilliant (and subversive) metaphysical statement made... since the Smothers Brothers were on television (and that's been a few decades, my friends) which says something not only about the brilliance of the statement in and of itself, but (perhaps more importantly) just how much we are in need of brillitant, insightful thoughts filling up our airwaves.
Thankfully, some shows that deserved to win did (30 Rock—it’s appeal eludes me but I can tell it’s a good show—and Mad Men—which is good for neophyte cable net AMC who are, I’m sure, laughing all the way to the bank thanking their lucky stars that they picked up a show that everyone else passed on) and some talent was recognized (Jean Smart playing a fabulously overbearing mother on Samantha Who? as well as Tina Fey for her brilliant writing on 30 Rock).
I can’t imagine how or why the show Breaking Bad (a hopelessly muddled dramedy about a dying teacher who becomes a drug dealer) got any nominations at all but star Brian Cranston is a decent actor and his win was deserved.
Well, at least it ended on time and we are all glad for small favors.