Annie Price
Usually, heaven for a TV-addict is found in the Emmys. Binge watchers everywhere see their favorite series and stars get the recognition they deserve, with an extra brutal episode of “Fashion Police” to follow. This year’s awards, however, fell a little flat.
Only a few new shows received major recognition. And for what feels like the hundredth consecutive year, “Game of Thrones,” “Veep,” and “Downton Abbey” were lauded as the saviors of TV. While these series have certainly earned their ratings, it’s tiresome to watch “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus take the stage five years in a row to accept the same award. Is there not a single other comedic actress on television who deserves this honor? Also, we get it, “Game of Thrones” is God’s gift to television–if you enjoy brutal violence, rape, and death–but does it need 38 Emmys? The awards desperately needed some fresh arrivals to relieve these tired shows.
Fortunately, we got little snatches of new entertainment, one of which was an award for Aziz Ansari’s writing on his Netflix series “Master of None.” The recent smash hit crime series “The People v. OJ Simpson” also dominated the night with five awards. And Rami Malek, the breakout star of “Mr. Robot,” took home the win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
One key distinction between the Emmys and other award shows (most notably, this year’s Oscars), was the diversity of nominees and presenters. Alan Yang, who won the Emmy alongside Ansari for writing on “Master of None,” took the opportunity to encourage Asian parents to get their kids cameras to increase Asian American participation in media. Jeffrey
Tambor, who won again for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy, advocated for increasing opportunities for transgender actors. The African American cast of “The People vs. OJ Simpson” took center stage as well, with awards that certainly departed from the #OscarsSoWhite trend. While this move for diversity may have been simply insurance against the kind of racial backlash the Academy Awards earned last year for their lack of minority representation, it still contributed to a more inclusive feel.
Although this year’s Emmy Awards may have missed the mark in rewarding new talent, they managed to honor some more than deserving TV stars, like “Saturday Night Live’s” Kate McKinnon and “Orphan Black’s” Tatiana Maslany. Neither of these actresses had won an Emmy before, despite their groundbreaking work in their respective genres.
And even for all the Emmys’ monotony, we can always look forward to the next day’s “Fashion Police.”
