Last night, the most unique Emmy Awards ever aired. Or as host Jimmy Kimmel called them, the "Pandemmy's". Many stars streamed into the show from home or socially distanced cast parties, while some appeared in person to present awards. It was certainly an interesting show, filled with highs and lows. Let's take a look at some of the most notable moments from the evening!
Jimmy Kimmel's Monologue
When Kimmel came out, it appeared that he was speaking to a full crowd at the Staples Center. Of course, this did not turn out to be the case and the footage was from past award shows. Kimmel gave a good monologue, joking about the shows, giving commentary on the state of the country and evening questioning why the awards were being held during a pandemic! Eventually, they cut to Kimmel in a nearly empty arena with cardboard cutouts for nominees (other than Jason Bateman). He stressed the importance of the pandemic and safety for the show to run smoothly, even taking a shot at the president in the process. It was definitely a strange opening but it really set the tone for what was to come!
Best Jokes
"Of course we don't have an audience. This isn't a MAGA rally, its the Emmy's."
"This is the year they decide they have to have a host?"
"I'm up here all alone. Just like prom night."
Schitt's Creek
The biggest winner of the night, by far, was Schitt's Creek. It swept all seven awards it was up for Sunday night, and became the first comedy to win all four acting awards. The show won an impressive nine Emmy's total (awards were handed out all week) for its final season and became the most awarded comedy in a single year, breaking the record previously held by fellow nominee The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Dan Levy actually walked away with four(!) awards for supporting actor, writing, directing and best comedy series. It was great to see comedic legends Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hera win for their exceptional work on the show. Looking forward to tuning in on Netflix for the final season on October 8th!
Awkward Moments and Bits
Maybe this was because this particular Emmy's took place during a pandemic but there were a lot of awkward moments in my opinion...like a lot. Kimmel "sanitizing" the envelope for Jennifer Aniston, which in turn led to her using a fire extinguisher to put out a fire (repeatedly) is one that stands out. Other awkward bits included: the "mail man" bit, Jason Sudeikis' COVID test on air, Kimmel's ICE joke directed at John Oliver, Tracey Morgan standing in for Tracey Ullman, and Sterling K. Brown's faux acceptance speech at the end of the night. Look, I get it. Since there was no audience, a lot of jokes and bits were followed by silence. To me, a lot of the bits were drawn out for so long and to be honest, just not that funny. Maybe next year will be funnier (hopefully)!
Big Night for Diversity
Diversity took center stage this year at the Emmy's. Anthony Anderson (Blackish) gave a powerful speech about the record number of Black nominees in this years awards and spoke about Black Lives Matter. Ten out of the nineteen winners for acting were won by Black actors, which is a huge improvement over last year's two of nineteen total. Some notable winners were Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Watchmen, Uzo Aduba for Mrs. America, RuPaul for RuPaul's Drag Race, and last but not least: Zendaya for Euphoria. I was particularly happy with Zendaya's win, who became the youngest winner for Best Actress in a Drama Series (24 years old), and only the second Black actress to win in that category (Viola Davis, 2015). Tyler Perry was awarded the annual Governors Award, and spoke about how diversity is at its best when we all work together, using a story about his grandmothers quilt to exemplify his point. Winners made sure to use their speeches to highlight the importance to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election in November as well.
Other than the Emmy's taking place during the pandemic, I thought the show was a rather forgettable one. It really goes to show how the show changes without an audience, which I think hurt the show. However, we all knew this wasn't possible during the pandemic. Congratulations to all the winners and looking forward to next year's awards! What did you think of the Emmy's this year? Sound off in the comments below!
Comments