With only a handful of stellar standouts (Lucy Liu’s Atelier Versace, Elisabeth Moss’ Dolce & Gabbana, Heidi Klum’s leg), this year’s Emmys red carpet proved to be a prelude to a snoozefest. Though 2012 was a stellar year for television by any measure, the Emmys felt a lot like “been there, done that.”
Homeland’s sweep in the drama category gave Showtime some much overdue credit, but was anyone even mildly surprised when Modern Family took home Outstanding Comedy Series took home Oustanding Comedy Series for the third year running? Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen won their second Supporting Actor and Actress trophies, respectively, with Stonestreet thanking TV hubbie Jesse Tyler Ferguson:
“There is no Cam without Mitch. We get the awesome opportunity to play these two characters on TV and show America and the world what a loving couple we can be, just like everybody else, and it’s an honor to do that. I never knew I’d be on TV as a gay man, but I love the pictures of hairy chests you guys are sending me.”
Jim Parsons was shut out of his third consecutive Emmy win by Jon Cryer for Two and a Half Men, which is apparently still darkening the halls of television. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss picked up her third Emmy, winning Outstanding Lead Actress for Veep and in the broadcast’s funniest moment, joked, “And it’s a shame Amy Poehler didn’t win,” after “mistakenly” taking the Parks and Rec‘s actress’ speech:
Drama was a more surprising affair with Homeland ending Mad Men‘s four-year dominance in the Outstanding Drama Series category. Both Claire Danes and Damian Lewis walked away with the Lead Acting trophies for Homeland and Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul won his second Supporting Actor award. Meanwhile, Dame Maggie Smith was probably too busy having tea and a kiki with Shirley MacLaine to pick up her Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for Downton Abbey.
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HBO’s Sarah Palin movie, Game Change, was also a big winner of the night. Julianne Moore, a vision in Dior Haute Couture, was finally able to snatch a trophy after being shut out at the Oscars four times — once by Nicole Kidman, who looked flawless in Antonio Berardi but lost for her role in Hemingway & Gellhorn. Game Change also won Outstanding Mini-Series or TV Movie and Danny Strong — hitherto best known as super nerd Jonathan on Buffy — won for his script. Kevin Costner and Tom Berenger won Lead and Supporting Actor for Hatfields & McCoys and Jessica Lange added to her already crowded awards mantle with an Outstanding Supporting Actress win for American Horror Story.
The broadcast thankfully didn’t run over but still felt long and incredibly boring, thanks in part to host Jimmy Kimmel. Jokes were few and far between and the absolute nadir of the night came when he brought up Tracy Morgan to pretend that he had passed out on the stage as a Twitter gag. He remained there, lifeless, as presenters and winners strolled by, no doubt wondering why they too didn’t pull a Dame Maggs and just stay home.
Photos: Emmys
balehead
Have the All British actors taken over playing Americans? And Homeland is better than Mad Men?
balehead
The British Actor’s union in England really discourages Americans from playing in British productions and films…they’re worried Americans will take acting jobs from the British Actors…
Eric Auerbach
Jonathan on Buffy wasn’t gay. At all.
Maybe you’re thinking of his partner-in-crime, the gay (or bisexual?) Andrew, played by openly gay actor Tom Lenk.
Lester Brathwaite
@Eric Auerbach: Ah, I stand corrected. I’ve been brushing up on my Buffy and am almost through season 3.
gppm1103
I knew the Emmys would be boring…but really. Modern Family is a great show but they are not even giving anyone else a glance.
Kimmel was terrible. I think this the last Emmy show I watch. It is obviously pre-determined and pre-paid.
Cam
“”
“There is no Cam without Mitch. We get the awesome opportunity to play these two characters on TV and show America and the world what a loving couple we can be,” said Stonestreet.
___________
Really? Thats funny because every single episode seems to be the plotline of “What will Cam get hysterical and angry about and overact to today?”
I’ve really never seen any indication that this couple cares about each other. The kiss episode was nice of them…..after first saying that gays were lucky they even showed a gay couple. But right after it aired they did another episode where these two were supposedly declaring their love for each other and…..hugged, while at the same time Phil and Claire had a huge moment of affection. The sad thing is, I love the show except for Cam, frankly I wish Mitchel would dump him and then they could do a season of him trying to date.
MUCH different than the New Normal where they actually seem to like each other and had an episode where they were harrassed by a bigot for actually looking like they liked each other out in a department store.
Dumdum
@Eric Auerbach: Andrew was so Gay ! It was awesome when Willow got all dark and Flayed Jonathan.
Dumdum
@Cam: Maybe Cameron has bad breath and Mitchel is too nice to say anything. Plus I think you would have to be the best actor on the planet to put your lips on Stonestreet and make it look real. They should use Ferguson’s real boyfriend.
Cam
@Dumdum:
LOL! Agreed. I thought a straight friend said it best, “If Cam is going to constantly act like that then I can’t buy them as a couple because they never show me any reason that they are together.”
I agree with her, Claire gets annoyed at Phil but at other times they show her being happy with him, some with the Ed O’Neil, Sophia V. couple.
And again, at first I was afraid “The New Normal” was going to be like this but they show that that couple has real and believable affection for each other.
Maybe Cam will choke to death when he tries to steal some of Lilly’s baby food and we can get a season of Mitchel coping as a single dad and trying to get the sweat and food stains Cam left off the ceiling and walls.
Dumdum
@Cam: That’s so funny ! Great plot idea maybe you should pitch it to the network, or to the guy who created this Modern Pablum. I really like The New Normal. You CAN feel the love. The cast and characters are great, and I think that Bebe Wood steals the show with her portrayal of Edie from Gray Gardens.
Cam
@Dumdum: said…
”
and I think that Bebe Wood steals the show with her portrayal of Edie from Gray Gardens.”
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That was HILARIOUS! LOVED THAT! Nice to finally get some references in shows beyond Cher and Judy Garland.
niles
Never liked his offensive portrayal on Modern Family or bought that this was a real couple. I think that is the bargain: you can have a gay couple, but any thought about them actually lusting after each other is forbidden. As for Stonestreet, was it really necessary to out himself as straight at the Emmys?
dvlaries
Very disappointed to see Jon Hamm left in his seat again (as well as Elizabeth Moss and Christine Hendricks), but when Hamm and Moss didn’t win for “The Suitcase” episode in season four it was time to stop hoping.
*
For now, five consecutive Best Drama Series Emmys remains a holy grail, but “Mad Men” still ties with “Hill Street Blues” and “The West Wing” for four. Still good.
Eric Auerbach
@dvlaries: Damien Lewis killed it in Homeland. He deserved the Emmy, and if it hadn’t been him it would’ve been Bryan Cranston.
Niall
Biggest shutout in history? 17 noms and not a single win!
ProactiveWithPep
@Dumdum: Actually, Willow didn’t flay Jonathan. She flayed Warren, the leader of the Trio, after he shot and killed Tara (although, technically, he was trying to shoot and kill Buffy). Jonathan was actually killed by Andrew who was being manipulated by The First, who had taken the form of Warren.
Kieran
Every year there seems to be less and less reason to watch these inane award shows. This year I didn’t watch and I suspect I didn’t miss much.
Dumdum
@ProactiveWithPep: Oh crap! That’s right.It has really been a while since I watched Buffy. Oh NO now I remember!!! Dude I got so upset that Tara died…It seemed really Anti-Gay to me cause of course you want them to be the hero’s Oh my Goddess. Should I be ashamed that I remember this stuff now ? It is like The Children’s Hour all over again. I could not sleep for two days after seeing that movie. I am such a little girl sometimes…
Dumdum
Guys I think that between us all ? We could create something good…Sorry I forgot they don’t want good…They want what my little puppy makes a couple times a day…
allthatjazzercize
I definitely agree that this year’s Emmys dragged on. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise that I had to stay late in my office at DISH, since I ended up recorded the whole event. I must’ve fast-forwarded through more than half of the show, especially the part where Julia Louis-Dreyfuss beat out Amy Poelher for the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award (I’m still super bitter about that one. No one beats Amy, no one)! I’m just glad that my Hopper DVR has so much memory space that I didn’t have to delete any of my other recordings to make room for this snoozer. I did get a few catnaps in during some of the drawn out acceptance speeches and skits though, so at least I felt rested by the end of the show. LOL!