If you’re a glass half full kind of person, you can look at the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards and say, “Yay for Breaking Bad winning Outstanding Drama Series for the first time, after previously going zero-for-three! And hey, Veep, 30 Rock, and Boardwalk Empire won, too. I like these shows, and therefore, it’s as if the Emmys are awarding my taste,” which is exactly how real people talk. If you’re a glass half empty guy or gal, though, the Emmys were more, “HOW THE F*CK DID MODERN FAMILY WIN AGAIN. BURN THE EMMYS.”
Me, I’m somewhere in the middle, which is probably the most hypocritical place to be. But it’s also the least maddening, because it allows me to be happy for Vince Gilligan and furious at Jeff Daniels, who somehow, someway, in-between waxing poetically about the America of old, schemed his way into winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series over the more deserving likes of Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm.
For the purposes of this post, I’m going to try to praise the positives, and keep all the negatives (and my god, there were so many negatives) into one item. The more time spent being delighted by the actions of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler means less bellyaching over BUT SERIOUSLY MODERN FAMILY AGAIN?
1. Amy Poehler may have been more the deserving winner for her work on Parks and Recreation, if only because that was the category where the show appeared, but Veep‘s Julia Louis-Dreyfus had an equally impressive season. This bit she and fellow winner Tony Hale (FRIEND OF UPROXX) came up with certainly helped her case. (Via)
2. This is the only time I’ve ever laughed at anything related to Nurse Jackie. (Via)
3. Worth restating that Buster Bluth won an Emmy, if only to use this photo.
4. I bet Kevin Spacey and Tommy Lee Jones have riveting conversations. (Via)
5. Neil Patrick Harris was fine as a host (he laughed at his own jokes, but was otherwise serviceable, if unmemorable), but consider this Tina and Amy’s audition reel to HOST EVERY AWARD SHOW. (Via)
6. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Dubstep Breaking Bad. Award shows are the best/worst.
7. mrscoachreactstothings.gif (Via)
8. Kerry Washington looked like this.
9. And Jon Hamm like this.
10. But mostly: Sarah Silverman.
11. “You all knew James Gandoflini the actor. I was lucky enough to know Jim the man for 10 years as his close colleague and life partner and for many more years as his friend. And it’s Jim the man, the very dear man, that I will miss most of all.” An all-too-rare touching tribute.
12. Will Ferrell’s look of pure happiness upon meeting Vince Gilligan.
13. The best: Louis C.K. sitting behind Bryan Cranston; The Colbert Report finally besting The Daily Show (both deserving, but it was time for a new winner); James Cromwell still looking like an evil Nazi doctor; Will Ferrell’s shirt and kids; short speeches; switching to Breaking Bad from 9 to 10:15 p.m.; and this GIF.
14. The blurst: Jeff Daniels quoting a playwright in his undeserved acceptance speech, proving that he has become Will McAvoy; Modern Family winning Outstanding Comedy for the 87,029th year in a row; Bobby Cannavale over Jonathan Banks (I love Gyp Rosetti as much as the next guy who enjoys being strangled during sex, but he’s no Mike); Jessica “The Name Game” Lange somehow losing to Ellen Burstyn; no Outstanding Choreography nominations for Bunheads; segueing from JFK’s assassination to the Beatles, because TV; all the “catch our show, Mondays on CBS” plugs; the damn Target commercial that played during literally every ad break; BAZINGA; the meta-ness of “hey, this dance bit is dumb, but because we’re acknowledging the insanity, we can get away with it,” which, no; and the weird Girls-inspired opening, which brings us to…
15. This photo of Lena Dunham mouth-kissing her mom is the worst thing to happen to the Emmys.
(Via Getty Image)
