2022 Emmy Awards

[Jefforey Smith]

I've minor, tenuous connections to this year's Emmys. I went to high school with Steve Zahn's wife, it's cool seeing red carpet photos of the couple. Murray Bartlett won his category. I worked with Sharon Tognoni when her daughter, Gina, won two Daytime Emmys. Bartlett was among her co-stars.

And, as it's my mom's 87th b-day, I'll mention Geena Davis' parents are Berea (KY) College grads, just south of here. (My mom's hometown.) I've seen pics of Geena attending college reunions with them. She's no doubt an awards show fixture with humble beginnings.

[Mister Tee]

After a couple of years being Emmy-literate, I reverted this year to not having seen most of the shows up for awards. Because of this, and because it was for me a rare night off from baseball/chance to drain my DVR, I did what a lot of people I know do for the Oscars: recorded the show, watched other stuff, then did the show on fast-forward, catching up with real-time at the end.

This haphazard method meant I skipped most of Keenan Thompson and a lot of the shtik. I also can't say I watched every acceptance speech. Notably, when Sheryl Lee Ralph started singing, I thought, Not my thing, and zapped along. A few hours later, a friend texted me that she had been the highlight of the show, so I went back and caught it. I still think it wouldn't have been my thing, but I'll never know, since I watched with the burden of This is the greatest speech ever!, which is hard to live up to when you're not experiencing it in real time. (I did find it interesting that Ralph of course played Deena in Dreamgirls, the sort-of-plastic/unsoulful counterpart to Jennifer Holliday, but it's obvious from this that she was equally capable of the soulful belt.)

Among the few shows I'd seen, I lamented the lack of recognition for Better Call Saul and Only Murders in the Building, but approved of the awards to Ted Lasso. (Someone on AwardsWorthy said the latter has no laughs, which couldn't better illustrate that comedy is subjective: I think the show is wonderfully funny, in a deeply rich way. The Christmas episode may be the best Christmas show on any series I've ever seen.) My biggest disappointment was Dopesick only winning for the much-deserving Keaton...which is my way of saying, I'm the one who didn't much care for The White Lotus. I had nothing against the actors, but I thought the writing left much to be desired: the plotting was thuddingly obvious (I knew from the get-go that Jennifer Coolidge would leave her eager would-be acolyte high and dry, and that the poor kid would get caught stealing from the hotel room), the character of the husband was cartoonishly evil and Murray Bartlett's character way too blatant in his maneuvering to punish him. I'd had the show recommended by friends, but I just don't see the appeal...for me, Dopesick was several notches above.

Apart from that? So many repeat winners, it felt like the Emmys of the 60s/70s. Jean Smart is wonderful in Hacks, but last year was the year we all saluted her career achievement, and this just felt like ditto marks. Sabin had highlighted how refreshing it was, following the 30 Rock/Modern Family decade, that we'd had different winners every year for best comedy. I fear those days are gone. And, for the love of god: John Oliver's great, but does no else ever get to win?

Most interesting moment for me was finding out Matthew MacFadyen is married to his MI-5/Spooks co-star Keeley Hawes (apparently since they did the show together). This mainly interested me because Hawes is fresh in my mind, as I'm currently watching her on the old (very good) Brit series Line of Duty.

[Sabin]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I thought the show was mostly good. I missed the first twenty minutes. I thought some of the bits fell flat and Keenan Thompson was just competent, but the presenters were lively and it genuinely felt like a spirited room. I thought the Emmys pulled off the high-wire act that the Oscars rarely do: it felt like a showcase for the industry in a way that was never off-putting. They all seemed like very cool, talented, passionate people that you might want to spend time with. The show also felt proud of the television series it was honoring -- lowest bar in the world but the Oscars miss it every time.

Also, I couldn't help but notice: was the word "TV" said once? I wondered if there was an "It's television!" mandate that was made very clear to everybody.

Has anyone else heard the phrase "Platinum Age of Television" before? I've heard "Peak Television" and "Collapse Television" but not "Platinum." It sounds like a desperate bid for ownership over something that's clearly got its share of problems.

I'm also enjoying how the Movie/Limited Series categories have never been so exciting. Increasingly, I think the biggest outrage of the night might have been if Murray Butler lost. The best this about this category is that you're guaranteed to get a new winner. Most of the other winners were repeat. Four of the five big Comedy categories. Three of the five big Drama categories (Matthew MacFayden is new, but also from Succession). This is an industry that sure does have its popular kids. I thought the vibe of the show felt like we were headed towards Abbott Elementary taking the top prize, but I was wrong. Ted Lasso/Succession feel like shows that will maintain their frontrunner statuses for years to come.

What on Earth is the point of nominating eight people to a category if only two or three shows fill the lineups? The Academy should institute a rule of no more than two co-stars per category or something or just drop it down to five. Honestly.

Favorite joke was Bowen Yang: "Selena Gomez is here. Wow, I mean watching you in 'Only Murders' is so touching. It's like watching Lady Gaga take care of two Tony Bennetts." I think that's such a good joke it survived Yang screwing up the punchline.

One of my favorite games of the night was spotting blonde Seth Rogen looked in his seat behind all the presenters, looking at their backs, vaping from time to time, and generally looking so bored.

One of my favorite little moments was Geena Davis taking the stage, and no men leaping to the occasion to help her up either through thoughtlessness or intimidation. Watching her clip from Thelma and Louise, I thought if the same sentence was said about her co-star today, it might be "But her biggest impact has been advising people to stay home or vote for Jill Stein."

I was moved more by Sheryl Lee Ralph's win than her speech, which only reminded me that while she is quite good on Abbott Elementary, she isn't that funny on it.

Another little moment I enjoyed was Lorne Michaels, looking quite old at this point, and nearing the end of his tenure on SNL. I felt bad for "A Black Lady Sketch Show" which is destined to lose every year against SNL in this two-category field, but I was moved by what Michaels said about this show coming together during COVID, how nobody left, and speaking reverentially and briefly about the resiliency and specialness of this show. Then he was done, far too briefly, and the cast, who had just assembled on-stage, clearly thinking "Oh, that was it." Kate McKinnon clearly expected some mention. But no, Lorne is too Canadian for that.

My favorite swear moment (and there were a lot) was Brett Goldstein swearing again, which he teed up very well.

Zendaya is younger than anyone on that stage and has twice the poise.

Lizzo is now halfway to the EGOT. Great speech.

Anyway, I liked it.

[Big Magilla]

Winners were decent but the show was horrible from the ridiculous opening number to the bizarre naming of the nominees in most instances before the presenters came on stage to announce the winners.

Sheryl Lee Raph's speech was the best I saw before giving up and going to bed, but I couldn't figure out what she was singing or why. I thought it might have something to do with her being overshadowed by Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls who she lost the Tony to forty years ago and finally having her moment at a big awards show.

The In Memoriam segment was a disgrace with many of the images so tiny it was difficult to make some of them out.

[danfrank]

I didn’t watch but glad to see the love for The White Lotus, especially for Murray Bartlett whose comic performance was masterful.

[anonymous1980]

Emmy winners.

- Sheryl Lee Ralph (who gave one of the best awards speeches ever), Lizzo and Ted Lasso's directing win were the biggest surprises.

- The show itself was overall mediocre.

[anonymous1980]

Creative Arts Emmy winners.

Laurie Metcalf, Nathan Lane, Colman Domingo and Lee Yoo-mi all won the Guest Acting categories.

Both Adele and Eminem are now just a Tony away from EGOT-ing.

[Sabin]

I watched season one of Abbott Elementary. I wish it were a funnier, but it's a well-structured sitcom that finds a lot of fun power dynamics in its world. It's a mockumentary in the style of The Office and Parks and Rec, and the school setting is a good fit for that model (I'll admit I'm glad to see the format back) although it hasn't quite found a way to make that format its own. It's most reliable source of comedy is in how the children are unruly nightmares. Fair game! It reminds me more of Parks and Rec (and Superstore) than The Office in its focus on people doing under-appreciated jobs, and also because the protagonist, Janine (Quina Brunson), is a nosy woman who gets on the nerves of her co-workers. That is how Parks and Rec started out, except they made the decision at a certain point to flip the dynamic to her co-workers respecting her methods. With Abbott Elementary, it seems like they're going to turn that shift into a story through-line and not a behind the scenes decision, as Janine rises in power and gets more responsibility. That's a good idea conceptually. Right now, the series is serving more as comfort food for me.

I could see it winning Best Comedy Series. It's a Freshman series. It got a lot of nominations. And it's something that the industry can be proud of.

[mlrg]

But my respect, admiration and love of reading insightful opinions from such good people as Tee, Magilla, Sabin, Reza, Irvin or Tripp are much higher than just one really insufferable person.

Umm, WOW. And I’ve been here longer than some of these people!

You too flipp

[Sabin]

flipp525 wrote

mlrg wrote
Your personality and the way you treat others has really drove away so many valid people. After reading your constant attacks I was this close to leave this board and join the long list of people that unfortunately already left or were kicked out. But my respect, admiration and love of reading insightful opinions from such good people as Tee, Magilla, Sabin, Reza, Irvin or Tripp are much higher than just one really insufferable person.

Umm, WOW. And I’ve been here longer than some of these people!

I refute the notion that I have ever said anything insightful, but that's very kind.

[flipp525]

But my respect, admiration and love of reading insightful opinions from such good people as Tee, Magilla, Sabin, Reza, Irvin or Tripp are much higher than just one really insufferable person.

Umm, WOW. And I’ve been here longer than some of these people!

[mlrg]

I'm sorry if you felt I was being condescending to you. You called me a liar and I responded with what I thought was a reasoned response. The only comment about you that I made was: "Honestly, it sounds more like you're trying to find facts to match your opinion rather than updating your opinion based on the facts."

Perhaps this was a bit condescending of me, but it really did sound like you were getting mad because you had made a point and no one was supporting it except Reza. Everyone else refuted it, and often citing only opinion. My first entry into this discussion was to suggest that Argo shouldn't be included. I didn't contradict anything else in your post. Greg then asked a question and I answered it. You then attacked my information.

If you would like to open a more honest debate on why there's a discrepancy between our information, I'm more than happy to do so. However, attacking me and casting aspersions on my character are not an appropriate way to do that.

And I'll offer up this: I searched Google for Schindler's List's gross and it returned $322.2. That is definitely a huge number, but with my source showing $96 million, that is a huge disparity. The $322.2 is the international gross and $96 million is the US domestic take. So, essentially, we were both correct. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's numbers were $1.1 billion by comparison. In the US $322.2 domestic would certainly sound like a blockbuster, but $96 million would not. The difference is always in the details.

Just to make things clear, I did not call you a liar.

[OscarGuy]

I'm sorry if you felt I was being condescending to you. You called me a liar and I responded with what I thought was a reasoned response. The only comment about you that I made was: "Honestly, it sounds more like you're trying to find facts to match your opinion rather than updating your opinion based on the facts."

Perhaps this was a bit condescending of me, but it really did sound like you were getting mad because you had made a point and no one was supporting it except Reza. Everyone else refuted it, and often citing only opinion. My first entry into this discussion was to suggest that Argo shouldn't be included. I didn't contradict anything else in your post. Greg then asked a question and I answered it. You then attacked my information.

If you would like to open a more honest debate on why there's a discrepancy between our information, I'm more than happy to do so. However, attacking me and casting aspersions on my character are not an appropriate way to do that.

And I'll offer up this: I searched Google for Schindler's List's gross and it returned $322.2. That is definitely a huge number, but with my source showing $96 million, that is a huge disparity. The $322.2 is the international gross and $96 million is the US domestic take. So, essentially, we were both correct. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's numbers were $1.1 billion by comparison. In the US $322.2 domestic would certainly sound like a blockbuster, but $96 million would not. The difference is always in the details.

[Okri]

Just to clarify, are we speaking domestic (Canada + USA) grosses or Worldwide? Because I've never heard 100m being cited as the sign of a hit/blockbuster when discussing worldwide grosses.

I'd also suggest that for this decade, the pandemic has basically destroyed the box office as a meaningful metric for cultural penetration and that it was already waning previous to that as well.

I would comfortably state that 12 Years a Slave, Parasite, Argo, Green Book, and The Artist are as well known as Homeland or The Handmaid's Tale at the very least. Reza, the argument that people have found ways to see subscription/cable television for free should hold equally true for film. Culturally relevant - I'd have to debate head to head comparisons and not as a group, to be frank. I'd be intrigued, for example, to see an argument that posited The Crown was more culturally relevant to South Koreans than Parasite. Fuck, I'm not even sure I'd believe that argument if you replaced South Koreans with UK citizens.

[mlrg]

My numbers came from the-numbers.com, but the same numbers come from boxofficemojo.com, which is now owned by IMDb. Both websites are focused on reported grosses: daily, weekly, and annually. Neither does a very good job adjusting for inflation, but that's a minor quibble.

You may not like being contradicted, but I cited facts. You know, there is strength in admitting you're wrong.

Wes, I also cited my FACTS. You’re just being childish with your “my sources are better than yours”.

Your personality and the way you treat others has really drove away so many valid people. After reading your constant attacks I was this close to leave this board and join the long list of people that unfortunately already left or were kicked out. But my respect, admiration and love of reading insightful opinions from such good people as Tee, Magilla, Sabin, Reza, Irvin or Tripp are much higher than just one really insufferable person.