The folks who are madly tweeting about how horrible the Emmys were last night are taking this thing way too seriously…
"Some shows and people didn't deserve to win!" Of course. Isn't that always the case? This is not an exact science. It's all opinions and not everyone's tastes are going to match yours. Why on Earth would you think they should or could?
"It's sickening watching all those overpaid, untalented phonies acting all smug and self-obsessed." Then don't watch. Don't watch the Emmys and don't watch anything on TV or go to movies. Because you do know that if someone is overpaid, untalented, phony, smug and self-obsessed on the Emmy Awards, they're almost certainly overpaid, untalented, phony, smug and self-obsessed all the time. They're just not all gathered together and dressed as well.
"The show was boring." If you don't like stars coming out, reading banter off TelePrompters and handing out awards, you're like someone who hates golf but watches golf matches. Why do you do that to yourself? A large percentage of any awards show is people coming out, reading banter off TelePrompters and handing out awards. That's the premise of the show you chose to watch instead of something else. Actually, I thought this year's show was about as good as Emmy telecasts ever get.
"I didn't know any of those people." Those are the actors, producers, directors (etc.) who for good or ill represent current television and that's who the Emmy telecast is about. The folks on the show weren't selected because someone wanted to piss you off by peopling the stage with people who work in the present industry.
"It was too political!" Translation: They did a lot of jokes about the guy you voted for. Look me in the eye and tell me you would have griped about jokes where you agreed with the premise.
"It was too long." Award shows are always too long, especially the most popular ones because the networks can charge premium rates to advertisers during those shows. And the longer the show is, the more spots they can sell. You're choosing to watch a three-hour show and then complaining it was three hours. If you must watch, don't watch it live. Capture it on your DVR or TiVo and then watch later, fast-forward button at the ready. You actually have the ability to shorten the show but you have to do it. They won't.
This post is getting too long so I'll stop and just say I thought Stephen Colbert was a terrific host and the writers gave him a pretty sharp monologue.
And I'll mention my favorite line of the evening. It came from John Oliver the second time he went up to accept an Emmy. The first time, he included Oprah Winfrey in his thank-yous not because she'd done anything but because she was sitting right in front of him in the first row and felt he had to mention her. His second time up there, Ms. Winfrey was elsewhere, an extra was where Oprah had been…and Oliver was quick-witted enough to thank "Oprah's seat-filler."
Anyway, it's just the Emmys. Unless you're up for one, they really don't matter.