November 5, 2024 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Emmys and the Resistance

By Steve Stajich

Full Disclosure: Just a few years back, I had certain feelings about awards and especially award broadcasts. There was always a vibe to the Oscars that made it feel as though a golden echelon of humanity got to live above the rest of us, concerned with campaigning for validation of their abilities even after they’d received ridiculous salaries and global attention for their work. The Emmys seemed to be the same, albeit on a smaller scale and having somewhat less impact on the planet.

Then about three years ago, I started to get nominated for a few awards for my theater writing and guess what? My attitude changed. Now I wanted to win a few, lose a few, and play whatever the game was. Productions of my plays outside of L.A. caused me to get attention for my work that I doubt will ever come right here “in town,” if you will. When a poster claimed I was an “award winning playwright” earlier this year, I thought, “Okay. They were smallish awards but they were given to me by some very nice people who were peers.” And if it helped sell tickets, then great!

So perhaps you should question any observations I make concerning last Sunday night’s Emmy Awards. That said, the Emmys this year seemed to be wrestling with at least three issues at the same time: The on-going dissonance between TV that is produced by networks and that which is produced and distributed by streaming sites, the hope of correcting past oversights of minorities by giving awards to artists representing those groups, and then Hollywood’s desire to keep bringing large audiences to the tent for their work despite feeling an obligation to fully state its resistance to the current administration in the White House.

The first two issues seemed to have been aggressively dealt with by last week’s Emmys. There were historical “firsts” for women, people of color, Muslim characters and storylines, and for the industry in general in terms of a “Best Drama” win for “The Handmaid’s Tale” which is distributed by a streaming site. But then something funny happened on the way to resisting our current President.

While jokes aimed at the President abounded, Emmy host Steven Colbert interacted with former White House press secretary Sean Spicer who made an appearance declaring something or other about the broadcast that was meant to align, I believe, with all the hokum (nee lies) Spicer was part of during his tenure. While reactions from the audience seemed to indicate that a memorable bit of comedy was in play, the laughs were not as robust as some had expected… and rightly so. That Spicer later attended the various Emmy galas and got more than his share of selfies with shiny stars didn’t help things much.

Some have said since that it was simply too early to use Spicer in a TV comedy bit. It wasn’t too early; it was wrong. I think it was just a little less wrong than when “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) yielded to the temptation to let the current President host that show when he was still running for office. But both mistakes were born of the same motivation: A desire to seek and get the free promotion that “viral” events get now in our Internet influenced culture.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni was among those bumped by the Spicer inclusion in the Emmys. “It was precisely and perfectly emblematic of Trump’s all-out, continuing assault on facts and truth itself. And it signaled Spicer’s full collaboration in that war, which is arguably the most dangerous facet of Trump’s politics, with the most far reaching and long lasting consequences.”

Possibly anticipating that the next morning’s reviews might be harsh because of his show’s earlier deployment of Trump as ratings bait, longtime “SNL” director Don Roy King spoke backstage at the Emmys about the importance of comedy in a fraught political environment. “This year it felt different, more important, like we were holding people accountable, doing some healing” King said. Actor Alec Baldwin won an Emmy for playing Trump on “SNL” and Bruni wrote that the idea for including Spicer at the Emmys was “reportedly” Stephen Colbert’s. It’s all just one big funny mash-up…

So, should collaborators get access that unquestionably helps to normalize Trump’s “assault?” I feel I can state with a degree of certainty that any more air time for Anthony Scarramucci – even in podcasts – won’t help anybody do anything. But with Spicer and the Emmys my concern is for whatever soul one can fret about when it comes to show business. You can’t sell me that “resistance” to Trump from that which is called “Hollywood” can also employ any viral stunt it wants and still deliver a clear message. Back in the early 70s, cranky old Bob Hope used to do comedy sketches with various senior comic actors who would pretend to be “hippies”… you know, stoned and wearing bad wigs and flowery pants. Hope would ‘dis’ the anti-Vietnam war movement in prime time, then smile and think he was pulling the nation together with his comedy. It wasn’t comedy; it was agitprop for war. If Hollywood now truly wants to resist, then it first has to resist temptation and – thank you Nancy Reagan – just say “No” to exposure for the other side.

<>Related Posts

Opinion: Fact Check: Why Vote Yes on Measure QS

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Despite living in a famously progressive region, Santa Monicans are not immune from the same political misinformation and disinformation that...

SM.a.r.t Column: Lack of Oversight and No Accountability

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

S.M.a.r.t. periodically invites guest columnists to write opinion articles on topics of particular interests to our readers. Below is an...

SM.a.r.t Column: “Help! I’ve Fallen, and I …!!”, Cries Santa Monica!

October 25, 2024

October 25, 2024

Maybe fallen, but slipping for sure from being a desirable beachfront community that served all equally, the local residents who...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Vote

October 13, 2024

October 13, 2024

In a polarized country or City every vote counts. Regardless of which side of any issue or candidate you support,...

SM.a.r.t Column: Fact-Checking Election-Season Windbaggery

October 6, 2024

October 6, 2024

Claim: The state is requiring Santa Monica to build 9,000 apartments.Answer: Partially true, partially false. Santa Monica has a pretty...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Can Help Save Lives and Revitalize Santa Monica’s Economy

September 29, 2024

September 29, 2024

We wholeheartedly endorse the candidates below for Santa Monica City Council. Their leading campaign platform is for increased safety in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Crime in Santa Monica: A Growing Concern and the Need for Prioritizing Public Safety

September 22, 2024

September 22, 2024

By Michael Jolly Over the past six months, Santa Monica has experienced a concerning rise in crime, sparking heated discussions...

SM.a.r.t Column: Ten New Commandments

September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024

Starting last week,  the elementary school students of Louisiana will all face mandatory postings of the biblical Ten Commandments in...

SM.a.r.t Column: Santa Monica’s Next City Council

September 8, 2024

September 8, 2024

In the next general election, this November 5th, Santa Monica residents will be asked to vote their choices among an...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part II: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

September 2, 2024

September 2, 2024

Affordability: An Income and Available Asset Gap Issue, Not a Supply Issue (Last week’s article revealed how state mandates became...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part 1: The Affordability Crisis: Unmasking California’s RHNA Process and Its Role in Gentrification

August 26, 2024

August 26, 2024

In the world of economic policy, good intentions often pave the way to unintended consequences. Nowhere is this more evident...

SM.a.r.t Column: They Want to Build a Wall

August 18, 2024

August 18, 2024

Every once in a while, a topic arises that we had previously written about but doesn’t seem to go away....

SM.a.r.t Column: Sharks vs. Batteries – Part 5 of 5

August 11, 2024

August 11, 2024

This is the last SMart article in an expanding  5 part series about our City’s power, water, and food prospects....

SM.a.r.t Column: Your Home’s First Battery Is in Your Car

August 4, 2024

August 4, 2024

This is the fourth in a series of SM.a.r.t articles about food, water, and energy issues in Santa Monica. You...

SM.a.r.t Column: Food Water and Energy Part 3 of 4

July 28, 2024

July 28, 2024

Our previous two S.M.a,r,t, articles talked about the seismic risks to the City from getting its three survival essentials: food,...