The Emmys prove #MeToo is working
An awards show, away from the protest noise, that recognised young, older and Black women making strides in the industry.
An awards show, away from the protest noise, that recognised young, older and Black women making strides in the industry.
It seems the sombre mood of England floated across the pond all the way to the Emmy Awards in Hollywood.
While TV’s night of nights is usually a time for stars (and their stylists) to unleash more creativity and flair than the more structured and traditional award shows, the 2022 Emmys were - to borrow a metaphor from the news cycle - the Kate Middleton to its usual Meghan Markle rebellion.
At least the photo albums for the winners will be timeless. Winner for her role in The Dropout Amanda Seyfried ditched Elizabeth Holmes’ black turtleneck uniform for a blush Armani Prive column gown.
This why Amanda won pic.twitter.com/TLf3kSZKlU
— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) September 13, 2022
In a wild twist of fate, Seyfried dropped out of university to star in Mean Girls.
Nearly 20 years later she won an Emmy for her role in a show called The Dropout.
Christina Ricci - the artist formerly known as Wednesday Addams - made a red carpet revival ahead of the release of the Addams Family series on Netflix.
It was a night marked by big wins for women making strides. New comers and those late to bloom.
Zendaya was nominated for four Emmys. For her work on the second season of angst-riddled (and vicious) teen drama Euphoria - two for songwriting, one for producing and one for Outstanding Actress in a drama. It was the second time she’d been nominated and won the major category, which was highly contested race this year between Melanie Lynskey for Yellowjackets and Ozark’s Laura Linney.
Zendaya, who also shone on the red carpet in a sophisticated black strapless gown by Valentino, first one the award in 2020. Then she was the youngest-ever winner in the drama category and her nominations this year now make her the youngest two-time nominee in the category. The 26-year-old also added “youngest producer ever nominated” to her growing list of accolades.
Julie Garner took home her third award for Ozark, beating out Sarah Snook in the Best Supporting Actress in a drama series category.
Meanwhile on the funnier end of the spectrum, Hollywood veteran Jennifer Coolidge won her first ever Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a limited series for her star turn as a hedonistic soul searcher tasked with disposing of her mum’s ashes in The White Lotus.
“I took a lavender bath tonight right before the show and it made me swell up inside my inside my dress and I’m having a hard time speaking, honestly,” Coolidge said, while collecting her first Emmy. It was also the first time she was nominated.
It was a successful night for the series, with Perth-born actor Murray Bartlett - who played the preternally fake-smiling hotel manager with the charm of Alan Bond and a tan straight from the sands of Cottesloe - picked up the Best Supporting Actor in a limited series prize.
But it was Coolidge the crowd wanted more of. Both in the series and on stage.
Producers tried to play her off during her short speech. First with operatic music then a version of These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Instead of leaving the lectern she started to dance, wiggling in her sparkly green gown. She still didn’t leave. The broadcast instead cut to a commercial.
this is why she’s mother pic.twitter.com/dTI9iSExtA
— chase. (@cfree94) September 13, 2022
While television has become prestigious, this year’s awards show to honour the medium was pedestrian.
Shoddy camera work, odd soundtrack choices, cutting off the majority of speeches and presenters not announcing nominees raised the hackles of the internet and working media on the night.
“The cheesy music, the presenters not announcing the nominees and then doing their rushed bits after they’re read, playing music 20 seconds into acceptance speeches, not showing some of the winners’ reactions to winning… this is a mess,” Yahoo entertainment writer and podcast host Gibson Jones tweeted, which quickly went viral.
“I don’t get why networks are so intent on messing with the basic format of awards shows? Tweak some of the aesthetics and whatnot, but people watch these things for the acceptance speeches and to see who wins. Rushing through those things is not going to improve ratings.”
the Zedd cutaways are the opposite of Sheryl Lee Ralph's speech pic.twitter.com/FWG902Bjoj
— Who? Weekly (@whoweekly) September 13, 2022
The mic drop of the night came from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong who couldn't help but jibe at the new British monarch.
“Big week for successions, we have a new king in the UK, for us. Evidently, a little more voting involved in our voting than Prince Charles,” he said.
“I’m not saying we’re more legitimate in our position. I’ll leave that to other people."
"Keep it royalist," the show’s (Scottish) star Brian Cox deadpanned after the show about ascension and hereditary succession won for Best Drama Series.
On a more touching and poignant note, Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph took out Best Supporting Actress for a comedy series. She sang her speech reminding everyone she is also a Tony nominated singer and using the prose of jazz star Dianne Reeves to whip the crowd into (another) frenzied standing ovation.
She then dedicated the award to “dreamers”.
"To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like…This is what striving looks like," she said.
Ralph earned the Emmy for her turn as Barbara Howard, a schoolteacher in Abbott Elementary. She is only the second Black woman in 35 years to win in the category after Days of Our Lives alum Jackee Harry.
Winning my Emmy was a career highlight, but it was also a lonely experience.
— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) September 13, 2022
For 35 years I’ve been the only black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actresses in a Comedy Series.
But that all changes tonight… and it’s come full circle! #Emmys pic.twitter.com/TiyCwASVTI
Her victory marked the first prime-time win for “Abbott Elementary,” which also won the comedy writing award for creator and former BuzzFeed writer Quinta Brunson.
This is why Quinta won an Emmy for writing pic.twitter.com/4F3D4Gfjqh
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) September 13, 2022
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