Monday, September 19, 2011

Emmys Schwemmys

Oh, Emmys. Even when you get it right you still manage to make it completely meh.

Let me start off with what was good about last night: the winners. I can't remember an Emmys that got so much right. Sure, Mad Men and Modern Family seemed like no-brainers, but when has that ever stopped Emmy voters?

And for the acting categories--it was all just great. Friday Night Lights FINALLY got some love with a best actor win for Kyle Chandler (I cheered), Margo Martindale won supporting dramatic actress for one of the most amazing female characters I have ever seen on last season's Justified, and Jim Parsons won for lead actor in a comedy for Big Bang Theory. Lots of acting and writing awards for Modern Family (which has the best ensemble around) and Downtown Abbey was in my mind a shoe-in for me for best miniseries.

In short, I don't have any complaints with respect to the winners last night. So I suppose the Emmys deserve a big kudos for that, especially with their reputation of awarding the same people over and over and ignoring new shows.

But. Then we come to ceremony.

It's no secret I'm a huge Jane Lynch. She's almost effortlessly funny--but even the funniest person can't defeat weak award-show jokes. I don't understand how these award shows are able to take funny people and render them completely annoying. The opening song number was, as Jane even told us, painfully long and awkward. Sure it was fun seeing cameos but it was just....not funny.

I suppose the best thing that can be said about the show was that it wasn't bad--it was just bland. The genuinely funny moments came when people in the audience or nominees took matters into their own hands. The lead actress comedy nominees always seem to come up with something (I have a feeling Amy Poehler had something to do with it) and their beauty pageant gag was really adorable and funny. But otherwise--whatever, Emmys.

At least Jane Lynch looked gorgeous. So it wasn't a total wash for her.

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