I came to the realization years ago that complaining about Award Shows is a Sisyphean ordeal (I am words using!!), but since that hasn’t stopped me from using this blogspace to whine about the Tonys at every possible opportunity, I will now extend the same courtesy to the Emmy Award nominees, which were announced earlier today.
Unlike the Tonys, I don’t have any angry “this whole thing is pointless” mindset towards the awards in general, but looking at this list with 6-7 things nominated in every category when there’s only, like, 9 non-reality shows on television, it just seems humorously excessive.
Let’s take a peek at some of the awesomely meaningful categories:
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
30 Rock
Weeds
Five people messaged me this morning about Family Guy’s nomination in the Best Comedy category (The Simpsons has apparently only been nominated for Animated Comedy), anticipating my angry re-hashing of my anti-Family Guy stance, but honestly, who cares? There are SEVEN comedies nominated — how many comedies are even on tv? Ten? If you count Alton Brown’s Good Eats as two? It’s Always Sunny… definitely got snubbed, because it’s as funny or funnier than anything else on this list (save maybe the second half of this Office season), but we’re talking about SEVEN nominees in a category that included Two and a Half Men three years in a row. It’s a meaningless distinction.
If the Emmys want to spread around as many nominations as possible to bolster the notoriety of television in general, that’s their prerogative. If Family Guy wins, on the other hand, it might be time for a post consisting of nothing but F-words.
Some other categories…
GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alan Alda, 30 Rock
Beau Bridges, Desperate Housewives
Jon Hamm, 30 Rock
Steve Martin, 30 Rock
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
Justin Timberlake hosting SNL counts as a “Guest Actor In A Comedy Series”? Jon Hamm’s arc on 30 Rock was amazing, but really, 4/5 of the category comes from Lorne Michaels’ two shows? That miiiiight be a sign that having five nominees (or a category at all) is an eentsy bit excessive.
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Michael Emerson, Lost
William Hurt, Damages
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men
Lost scaled back Ben’s part significantly this past season, but if Michael Emerson doesn’t win a frickin’ Supporting Actor Emmy before Lost is over, I’m going to murder whoever’s fault it was. Or the enitre Academy, if need be.
GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Brenda Blethyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Carol Burnett, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Sharon Lawrence, Grey’s Anatomy
CCH Pounder, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
Anyone else find it a bit unsettling that the series about brutal domestic abuse and rape is apparently the only show with guest actresses? (But I’ll be at the edge of my seat to see if CCH Pounder can win for her unforgettable The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency performance!!! So exciting!!!)
REALITY SERIES
Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Dog Whisperer
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
MythBusters
Nothing crazy here, just amusing myself picturing the Antiques Roadshow people winning and throwing a drunken, batsh*t-crazy afterparty.
MINISERIES
Generation Kill
Little Dorrit
Loved Generation Kill, and it’d deserve to win a crowded field, but seriously, TWO frickin’ nominees?? What is this, the NFC West of Awards categories? Winning “Best CSI Iteration” would be more meaningful.
HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Padma Lakshmi (Host) and Tom Colicchio (Co-Host), Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
We must reward these humans for their contributions to the universe! Can’t all seven win????
Thoughts on the Emmy Nominees? Leave ‘em in the comments (or wait for Michelle’s happier Emmy Nominee post this afternoon)
