The Emmys aired yesterday, and while it’s hard to get too excited about watching a circle jerk you’re not invited to, there were a few pleasant surprises past the customary
Lesbians! Yay! teleprompter joke fails and awkward musical numbers. (Poor LL Cool J.)
As a host, Jane Lynch did not disappoint — from the prerecorded opening to her off-the-cuff remarks, she was spot on. She had just the right blend of snark without the overwhelming audacity of Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, which kept the show flowing. Her little “Mad Men” flirt with Peggy Olson was adorable, and I was basically in love with her due to this intro: “Many of you are wondering why I’m a lesbian. Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of ‘Entourage.'” Plus, the woman is not above readjusting her Spanx on live television during a live dance number, which you must admire.
While this Emmys show was largely memorable for its girl power, special mention is due to a couple of hombres. Following the win of his on-screen wife, Julie Bowen, “Modern Family’s” Ty Burrell gave a touching speech about his Dad, adding a rare genuine moment of heartfelt humor and emotion to the evening. I also especially enjoyed the overwhelming Britishness of “Downtown Abbey’s” Julian Fellows and his “At the risk of sounding grandiloquent.” (Note: when you use the term “grandiloquent,” you’ve already arrived at grandiloquence.)
It was ultimately the women of the night who stole the show. In stark contrast to the cheesy repartee of the announcers, all the nominees for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy” took to the stage as a group. While they must have discussed this ahead of time, it had a truly heartwarming and impulsive feel to it, starkly contrasting with the usual fake, catty undercurrent of Hollywood actresses. Planned or not, seeing that line of hilarious ladies standing up there, nervously holding hands was my favorite part of the night, and earned a standing ovation from the audience for the show of solidarity. It was all the more charming when Melissa McCarthy won and was crowned with a tiara and handed a bouquet of roses like a beauty queen. “Wow, it’s my first and best pageant ever,” she beamed.
I was in Bridesmaids, bitches!She and Amy Poehler later returned to the stage to sexploit the men of “Lead Actors in a Mini Series,” telling them to basically shake what their Mama gave ’em to get ahead. This juxtaposed nicely with the proceeding award for “Lead Actress in a Mini Series”: there is something unbelievably hilarious about the fact that the cast of “Entourage” accepted an award on Maggie Smith’s behalf.
Lesbians! Yay! teleprompter joke fails and awkward musical numbers. (Poor LL Cool J.)As a host, Jane Lynch did not disappoint — from the prerecorded opening to her off-the-cuff remarks, she was spot on. She had just the right blend of snark without the overwhelming audacity of Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, which kept the show flowing. Her little “Mad Men” flirt with Peggy Olson was adorable, and I was basically in love with her due to this intro: “Many of you are wondering why I’m a lesbian. Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of ‘Entourage.'” Plus, the woman is not above readjusting her Spanx on live television during a live dance number, which you must admire.
While this Emmys show was largely memorable for its girl power, special mention is due to a couple of hombres. Following the win of his on-screen wife, Julie Bowen, “Modern Family’s” Ty Burrell gave a touching speech about his Dad, adding a rare genuine moment of heartfelt humor and emotion to the evening. I also especially enjoyed the overwhelming Britishness of “Downtown Abbey’s” Julian Fellows and his “At the risk of sounding grandiloquent.” (Note: when you use the term “grandiloquent,” you’ve already arrived at grandiloquence.)
It was ultimately the women of the night who stole the show. In stark contrast to the cheesy repartee of the announcers, all the nominees for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy” took to the stage as a group. While they must have discussed this ahead of time, it had a truly heartwarming and impulsive feel to it, starkly contrasting with the usual fake, catty undercurrent of Hollywood actresses. Planned or not, seeing that line of hilarious ladies standing up there, nervously holding hands was my favorite part of the night, and earned a standing ovation from the audience for the show of solidarity. It was all the more charming when Melissa McCarthy won and was crowned with a tiara and handed a bouquet of roses like a beauty queen. “Wow, it’s my first and best pageant ever,” she beamed.
I was in Bridesmaids, bitches!She and Amy Poehler later returned to the stage to sexploit the men of “Lead Actors in a Mini Series,” telling them to basically shake what their Mama gave ’em to get ahead. This juxtaposed nicely with the proceeding award for “Lead Actress in a Mini Series”: there is something unbelievably hilarious about the fact that the cast of “Entourage” accepted an award on Maggie Smith’s behalf.
It was a strangely nice Emmys, and the wins of Melissa McCarthy and Margo Martindale added a heartening affirmation that one mightn’t necessarily have to starve oneself to a size zero to succeed in show business anymore. As Margo put it, “Sometimes things just take time, but with time comes appreciation.” It was certainly great to see these women getting the recognition they deserve.
