Last week we posted a piece about the research that showed that women created 26% of the TV shows during the 2011–2012 season. But, based on the lack of women visible onstage at last night’s Emmy Awards in any category but acting, you could have gotten the impression that women are basically invisible as creators, writers and directors of TV shows. (I know that women won awards given at last weekend’s Creative Emmy’s but they were not on TV last night for the world to see.)
The only women I saw onstage were some writers from The Daily Show and I heard one woman’s name mentioned as a writer on Homeland.
But not a single woman made a speech for anything other than an acting award.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a more male centric and narcissistic show. And it started from the top with host Jimmy Kimmel doing his Who’s Afraid of Baby Jane botox disaster bit featuring several high profile actresses in bathrobes (and a naked Lena Dunham eating cake.) That’s when I knew we were in trouble.
It seems like Louis CK won every award that Lena Dunham was nominated for. If you didn’t notice, Girls was shut out. While people in NY may really, really like Girls, the boys in Hollywood (even with the Judd Apatow factor) just clearly are not on board the Girls train. Maybe it is too soon for that show, but they did show lots of love for Homeland and it was that show’s first season too.
I had a hard time watching Jimmy Kimmel go on and about us how great he is. The guy was already hosting the show, why did he have to do skits about how great he was?
And don’t get me started on Steve Levitan the creator of Modern Family. Every time the guy got up to accept an award I just wanted to hurl. We all know he loves himself but does he need to put his foot in his mouth everytime he opens it. No wonder his co-creator Christopher Lloyd (did he even thank him?) doesn’t come to these events. Who wants to be on a stage with him? I am guessing he is talented and I do love the show, but isn’t receiving your third Emmy in a row a time for self deprecation? But no, this is Hollywood where idiot boys can get up on a stage and do stupid things (yes, you Tracy Morgan) and people just laugh at it all the way to the bank.
But all was not lost. Congrats to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for winning a best actress in a comedy series Emmy for her third show. The only other actress to accomplish that feat is Tyne Daly for Cagney and Lacey, Christy and Judging Amy.
So now that the boys of TV world have congratulated themselves and their wives (wasn’t there more than usual amount of wife thanking last night?) we can now get ready for the new TV season to kick off officially tonight. Here’s to hoping that some of the new shows created by women (and some of the old ones like The Middle) get some recognition at next year’s Emmys.
2012 Primetime Emmys: Did Julia Louis-Dreyfus Break A Record With Third Victory? (Deadline)
