Golden Globe Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

I haven't done a whole post on Golden Globe nominations in like 10 years because the Globes are usually pretty ridiculous in who they nominate, but this year they are downright outrageous so I have to write it all down otherwise my head might explode (plus, I'm super bored). So here goes: 

The Good: 

- There is actually a LOT of good, so let's start there. My favorite film acting performances are nominated - Riz Ahmed and Vanessa Kirby. Viola Davis & Chadwick Boseman are also incredible. Anya Taylor-Joy is a delight in Emma

- Palm Springs is cute and probably the only movie in the Musical/Comedy category that deserves to be there 

- I haven't seen Nomadland or Promising Young Woman, but I have really high hopes and I'm happy to see the nominations 

- The tv nominations are much better - with a surprising, but most welcome, love for The Great (and Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning) 

- The expected nominations for Schitt's Creek and The Crown 

- Glad to see Small Axe in the Television categories (it's not a movie)

- The Limited Series categories are the strongest overall (Your Honor, Small Axe, The Undoing, Normal People - all excellent) 

The Bad: 

- I'm more upset about what is nominated than by what was snubbed. There are always going to be snubs with awards, and usually it just means that there are so many great performances and projects. But when you nominate utter crap - it just takes away from the achievement of others and this year is a doozy

- I know that the Globes love Ryan Murphy but nominations for The Prom, Hollywood and Ratched (which I liked) are ridiculous. The Prom is one of the worst movies I've seen in a while - and James Corden??? Seriously? How does playing a gay character in the most cliched way possible garner any kind of award nomination? 

- Hamilton is NOT a film. Period. The only award it should be nominated for is for whatever category at the Emmys that nominates itself is (it's like a special broadcast category but I can't remember the technical name for it)

- It's weird that a lot of film people claimed to have never heard of Music before its nomination. It's weird because there is a TON of controversary around it so "film people" should be following it? Isn't that their job? I've been following it - and it's really disheartening. Sia always seemed like someone with a good heart, but her lack of respect for the autistic community during this project is really disappointing and harmful (look it up!). I haven't seen a ton of reviews for it, but probably not a good idea to nominate a movie that an entire community has denounced. 

- I expected nominations for Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7, but still...UGH. 

- Bill Murray nominated for being Bill Murray, Fuck right off 

- Nominations for Emily in Paris? Really? I haven't seen it, but I've seen many people make fun of it - because it's supposedly terrible. It's advertised as a younger Sex and the City type show, so that's me never watching it

- I LOVE The Crown. I've loved it from Day 1. But, I think Emma Corrin's performance as Diana is so awful. She has one look for every emotion and it's laughable how often she uses it. 

-Why are there only 4 nominations for Television Supporting Actress? Especially when that category isn't divided by genre? Could they really not find a 5th nominee? There's 5 in Mrs. America alone. 

The Snubbed: 

- OH SO MANY. The biggest one for me is that there is nothing for The Devil All the Time? Like, not one? There are so many great performances RIGHT THERE. 

- I would have loved for Rachel Brosnahan to sneak in a nomination for I'm Your Woman

- Kornel Mundruczo directed the Hell out of Pieces of a Woman 

- I wasn't a huge fan of Da 5 Bloods, but Delroy Lindo definitely deserved a nomination (and I think he was expected to get one?) 

- My favorite television performance is Nicole Beharie in Monsterland and it's sadly been completely ignored

- Lovecraft Country deserved some acting nominations

- How do you nominate Normal People and Daisy Edgar-Jones but not Paul Mescal? I thought it was weird when he was nominated for the Emmy and she wasn't. They should be nominated as a pair, I think. Wouldn't that be an interesting concept? 

- I can't keep track of what is actually eligible as far as television goes but what about Billions? Dead to Me? What We Do in the Shadows? 

4 Thoughts on The Emmys

 1. The Host - UGH Jimmy Kimmel...just UGH. Do people actually think he's funny? He's so dull. But, I guess with everything going on, it's the best choice to just play it as safe as possible. And Jimmy Kimmel is definitely safe (UGH). I did appreciate that he acknowledges that the Emmys are meaningless, but it's also some harmless entertainment and sometimes that's needed. I only laughed once through his whole hosting gig - when he was introducing the reality award and he said "past losers in this category have gone on to being...president of the united states!" (also a sore reminder that I totally used to watch The Apprentice and I LOVED IT. I never liked Trump, but I did love Ivanka - not anymore, obvi). Anyway, hosting this year was undoubtedly a difficult task, and Jimmy Kimmel did a very boring but satisfying job. 

2. The Winners & Losers - I don't have many complaints. Schitt's Creek sweeping was definitely unexpected - I was really hoping for a win for Dan Levy (either writing or acting would have sufficed) because, as wonderful as everyone is on that show, Dan is the heart and he deserved some recognition for creating such a lovely, heartwarming, and hilarious show. It's really such a terrific ending for such a little show - that practically nobody heard about until season 3. But winning the first SEVEN awards of the night, seemed a little bit like overkill - and absolutely ridiculous (not to mention that the final season wasn't even close to the best season!). Succession is on my list (might start it next week), but I'm already a big fan of Jeremy Strong so I'm happy for his win. Watchmen deserved all the recognition - especially Regina King (I wish Jean Smart won too, though). I want to like Zendaya (she's adorable), but I have not liked her in anything I've seen her in so far (the Spider-Man movies and The Greatest Showman). Euphoria is on my list, and I've heard that she's incredible so I'll reserve my judgement (although I'm 99.9% sure she's not better than Olivia Colman, because no-one is). However, she might want to learn how to speak in public? The "UMM"s drove me insane. I get that people get nervous at these things, and she's young, but it just makes her sound so dumb. It wasn't just her - Julia Garner did it too - "UMMMM" *brain explodes*. And y'all know how I feel about Julia. Probably the only winner that I absolutely don't agree with (and I never will). Also, I missed the fact that people from Hollywood were nominated this year?! What in the actual fuck? Out of all the amazing television out right now, that show deserves...nothing. 

3. The Show - Absolutely not necessary for this to be any longer than two hours. In "not normal" times, let's speed things up a little and cut out all the bullshit. I'm glad they didn't keep the fake audience through the whole thing because that was dumb. There are some really great moments that happened though - I still can not stop laughing at Ramy's tweet with the guy in the hazmat suit holding the Emmy, waving goodbye to him because he lost. It will remain one of my favorite Emmy moments of all time. It's also always lovely to have a mini-Friends reunion - "we've lived together since 1994!" LOL (I'm quite upset about Jen Aniston's botox face though. She's so stunning; why do women do that to themselves? To each their own and all that, but it's just something I will never understand). Overall, the show was entertaining, but did we really need to be reminded about how much money Tyler Perry has? It's great that he gives so much to charity, and such, but he's still a billionaire...so still not enough, dude (I was actually curious so I looked it up and, yup, his net worth is 1B). And, I don't really want to see "real" people during an awards show. I'm watching for the celebrities...because...it's supposed to be fun and distracting...remember? 

4. The Fashion - Zendaya clearly won the fashion game this year - both her in-person look and her at home look were stunning. I wasn't a big fan of the necklace with the first look (it looks cheap?), but then that second look is just...so gorgeous. Shira Haas also wore a lovely dress. I didn't really notice anyone else in anything spectacular, but it was kind of hard to tell with everyone sitting in front of a camera. The obvious worst dress was worn by Cynthia Erivo - it just had way to much going on - the contrasting purple & yellow, the fur, the sparkles, the puffy sleeves. Just horrendous. And Julia Garner looked like she was going to a Great Gatsby party (which if she was, she looked cute, but she wasn't...). 

Emmy Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good

- The "expected" Dramas making the cut - Better Call Saul, Killing Eve, and The Crown are definitely the best Dramas currently on television (I have not seen Succession yet)

- Schitt's Creek finally getting real Emmy love (15 nominations!!). It should have been showered with awards from the beginning, but I'll take what I can get.

- A shocking but lovely nomination for What We Do in the Shadows 

- Watchmen leading the way with an astounding 26 nominations and they deserve every. single. one. of them.

- The Lead Actress in a Drama Series category - Jesus Christ, that's some fucking talent listed (although I have not seen Euphoria and I haven't been a fan of Zendaya's acting in the past - I still really, really like her). Ditto for the Supporting Actress in a Limited Series category (Jean Smart, Tracey Ullman, Toni Collette, Margo Martindale - how does one choose?)

-  The snubbing of both Ryan Murphy Netflix shows (The Politician and Hollywood), they are both terrible but the Emmys tend to love Murphy (and it's usually warranted), so I was nervous.

The Bad

- The "surprise" Dramas making the cut - I enjoyed both Stranger Things and The Mandalorian, but they are not Emmy worthy (the first season of Stranger Things maybe, but definitely not the most recent season). The Mandalorian is good, but mostly because of Baby Yoda. Although I do like that sci-fi/fantasy shows are being recognized (but I think they should have their own category!)

- I'm continuously surprised by the love for Ozark - I have not yet watched the third season, but the first two ranged from good to mediocre and have never been award-worthy, in my opinion (and don't even get me started on Julia Garner...).

- Saturday Night Live is STILL getting nominations - and 15 of them! I...just...don't understand.

The Snubbed 

- Um, Bob Odenkirk??? What in the actual fuck? I never expected a snub for him, but was expecting it for Rhea Seehorn (doesn't make it right, though). Both have given spectacular and memorable performances this year on Better Call Saul. It's downright shameful to ignore both of them.

- My favorite comedy on television right now is Better Things and Pamela Adlon is a Goddamn genius.

- Merritt Wever for Unbelievable 

- I recently started watching The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and it is great (better than The Mandalorian), so if they are going to finally recognize sci-fi/fantasy then this should have been the way to go (plus, Taron Egerton should have gotten a Voice-Over nomination, but I also realize that I am BIASED with a capital B).

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Watchmen - The hype was real for this, and for the most part, I think it lives up to it. The cast is incredible. I've been a Regina King fan for years, but she really thrived in this. The standout performance, for me though, is Jean Smart. I used to watch Designing Women when I was a kid - and I used to think she was so funny, but it was a different kind of funny than what most women on television were at that time - she was smart funny and dry funny. She's been around for years on various tv shows (24, Samantha Who?), but it really wasn't until Fargo that I remembered how much I love her. The third episode of Watchmen, Jean gives an unforgettable performance - it's just sublime. The story is ambitious (maybe a little too ambitious?), but ultimately really strong. It's based around a dark day in American history - the Tulsa massacre, and how the events of something so traumatic can have decades-long consequences. I'm glad that this is just a one season show - not everything needs to be dragged out for forever.

2. The Outsider - I was nervous about this because I thought it was going to be similar to the other current Stephen King television show, Castle Rock. While the cast on Castle Rock is outstanding, the rest of the show is hot garbage. Luckily, The Outsider is far more cohesive and interesting. The mystery is really creepy and the suspense builds nicely with each episode. Ben Mendelsohn really carries the series, but I have to say, Cynthia Erivo is mesmerizing as Holly Gibney - probably one of my favorite characters on current television (no-one comes close to Villanelle, though). I was really rooting for Cynthia at the Oscars this year (obviously she wasn't going to win the Actress award because everyone had their mind set on Zellweger for some baffling reason, but she could have taken home the Song award), which would have made her an EGOT winner at the young age of 33 (if you count Daytime Emmys - which I personally think should count). Also, Julianne Nicholson is such an underrated actress. She will probably be overlooked for this performance, but she does such a great job of portraying grief and anger in a really vulnerable way. Overall, I would definitely recommend this if you are into horror/sci-fi shows - it comes to a satisfying conclusion, so I'm interested to see how they continue the story for another season.

3. The Mandalorian - I have to admit that by the time I got around to watching this I wanted to punch every single person who posted a Baby Yoda meme. And then I started watching the show, and came to the realization that I WOULD DIE FOR BABY YODA. Literally. He's just about the most adorable creature ever put on screen. Every time he appears, my heart just burst with joy. Anyway, I'm a little disappointed that Pedro Pascal keeps that helmet on for the entire season because I love him, and I kept forgetting that it was him under there. Plus, I'm not sure he's the best actor to use purely based on voice? I'm not really familiar with the extended Star Wars universe, so some of the plot went over my head, but overall I enjoyed this.

4. Devs - I'm not fully invested in this show. It keeps bouncing back and forth between being extremely predictable to what the fuck is happening/this doesn't make any sense. And I'm not sure it's going to be worth it. Also, the cast is weird - like nobody matches their role. I'm only on episode 4 so I assume (hopefully) that it will all come together cohesively, and that maybe the weird acting is done on purpose. I think I just had higher hopes for it because Alex Garland has some pretty neat sci-fi ideas. But so far, it just feels like a chore to watch.

5. Avenue 5 - This is an entertaining little comedy/sci-fi. I enjoyed it, and laughed out loud quite a few times. It's a little bit of mindless entertainment, but sometimes that's necessary - just to watch something that doesn't take too much mental energy is sometimes a blessing, especially during recent events. The cast work really well together - and even though I really don't like Josh Gad, he has some really funny dialogue to work with. I'm excited for season two - and I can see this show working for multiple seasons and growing into something great. The basics for a great show are all there.

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good 

- Another year of me struggling to come to terms with what the Academy deems award-worthy. I don't think this year is as bad as last year, but I am still having trouble finding the "good". The biggest (and most predictable) "good" nomination is for Joaquin Phoenix (my thoughts on Joker will be up soon...). Undoubtedly one of the best working actors today - this is his fourth nomination and he will deserve the win.

- There was a lot I liked about Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood - the acting, in particular. I'm also happy to see Quentin getting the screenwriting and directing nod.

- Charlize Theron is incredible in Bombshell (more thoughts to come...).

- I haven't seen Little Women - and to be honest, I don't want to see Little Women (*groans* do I have to?), but Saoirse Ronan is a favorite of mine, so I was happy to see her name on the list of nominees.

The Bad

- The love for The Irishman. I understand the acting nominations (because duh...) and Martin Scorsese (again duh...), but all of the technical nominations blow my mind. Like, how does it get Production Design and Costume Design over a film like Rocketman? It doesn't make a bit of sense. And the Visual Effects were the worst and most distracting part of the movie.

- The love for Marriage Story. It's a good movie with good performances. That's it. It's hard to believe that I live in a world where Scarlett Johansson earned two Academy Award nominations in the same year.

- The lack of representation. Usually, I don't go there for award shows. I don't think it's their fault that most of the nominees are white males. It all comes down to opportunity - and while it's getting better, it's not something that's going to happen overnight. The saying "two steps forward, one step back" exists for a reason. However, I do think it's odd that Little Women is so highly regarded and reviewed - earning Best Picture, screenplay, and acting nominations without nominating the director. It's happened before though (remember Argo? It won Best Picture without a directing nomination). Actually - it happened this year with Gerwig's own husband, Noah Baumbach. Marriage Story received a screenplay, acting nominations, and a Best Picture without getting Director. I think it comes down to people just being fed up with the industry and the consistent lack of representation, but it's not going to be fixed on an awards show level.

The Snubbed 

- Well, you probably already know what I'm going to say, but it still has to be said. Taron Egerton put his heart and soul into Rocketman and it's baffling that he didn't get a nomination. The last time I was burned this bad by the Academy was when Leo didn't get nominated for Titanic. I truly believe that this was the toughest category this year - and it sucks that a performance can be overlooked simply because of timing. If the release dates for this and Bohemian Rhapsody were flipped, surely Taron would have been the front-runner, and I don't think Rami would be in the conversation this year (I feel bad that people are trashing him now, but I trashed him as soon as I saw the movie. It's not a good performance. I do however think he's incredible on Mr. Robot and I'm hopeful that it's not just a fluke). Also, Rocketman was released in the beginning half of the year, which usually solidifies being ignored. Taron worked hard to keep it in the conversation and he should be proud of himself (and being nominated for a SAG, BAFTA, and winning the Golden Globe ain't too shabby).

- The rest of the nominations for Rocketman. I watched one of the Rocketman screening interviews (actually I watched many), but an interviewer asked Taron if he was tired of being asked all the same questions and talking about the movie for literally 6 months and he said that he felt a responsibility to do it because of all of the talent behind the camera that he didn't want to be forgotten. He's the face of the movie, but he wanted Rocketman to stay in the conversation for them (and duh..for himself, too, obviously). The costume design is probably the most egregious snub - the fact that they didn't just copy Elton John's wardrobe (which would have been the easier route) and instead were "inspired" by them, really made it all the more interesting.

- The song "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)" from Wild Rose is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard all year. I mean, I would even nominate that over "I'm Gonna Love Me Again" from Rocketman (they literally nominated the only thing I didn't like from the movie. LOL. I listen to the soundtrack pretty regularly and it's the only song I skip).

- It was obviously a long-shot, but it's a damn shame that James McAvoy hasn't been in ANY of the conversations. Glass is not a good movie, but his performance is incredible. I'm sorry, but Adam Driver could never do that.

- My two favorite female performances this year are Lupita Nyong'o and Sienna Miller (someone else who was completely ignored). It's pretty guaranteed that Renee Zellweger is winning and I just...don't understand. I haven't seen Judy yet, but from the trailer, it doesn't look good and it seems like she is just doing a really bad impersonation.

4 Thoughts on The Golden Globes

1. The Host - I enjoy Ricky Gervais - always have, always will. It was a little awkward how terrible the audience reacted to his jokes. I mean, you had to know what he was going to do. And he really didn't go as far as he has in the past. It's a horrible feeling when people are too scared to laugh at JOKES in fear of not seeming "woke" enough for this modern world. I get that not everyone has the same taste in comedy, so you may just not find him funny - but some of the reactions were so overdone - like they were absolutely horrified by what he was saying. Big shout out to the few celebrities that were able to laugh at themselves (Leo and Scorsese come to mind). I love that he kept joking that it was his "last time" hosting - he's been saying that since the first time. And that the In Memoriam segment wasn't "diverse enough", so they nixed it. LOL. But, the best part of the whole thing is that he called out everyone on their contradictory behavior "you're in no position to lecture anyone". TRUTH.

2. The Show - One of the better awards shows over the last few years - it moved pretty quickly, felt like a party, had some surprising moments, and some even more surprising wins (there is no way anyone predicted more than 50% of those wins. Just no way.). I enjoy both Ellen Degeneres and Tom Hanks, so it was nice to see them receive Lifetime Achievement awards. I thought Kate McKinnon really did a fabulous job at introducing Ellen - it was so absolutely sincere and it really sparks the whole representation on-screen debate. It is important to see yourself on screen - especially when you are young and feeling alone. I loved that Charlize introduced Tom Hanks because That Thing You Do! is one of my all-time favorites and I feel like it's a forgotten gem of a movie. Hanks is a legend - I can instantly rattle off my favorite movie from any celebrity, with the exception of Tom Hanks - there's just too many (my instinct is A League of Their Own, but that's just such a tough call). As for the rest of the winner's speeches, I'm not a big fan of bringing politics into your speeches, but I do understand sometimes the need to - when you have such a big platform you should use it for things that matter, but I also think that movies, tv, dumb awards shows, etc., are the only thing we have to distract us from this garbage world we currently live in. Maybe people need the escape and don't want to be reminded of the outside world, if only for a measly 3 hours? I do love that they saved my favorite person for last, to present the final award. I didn't even realize Sandy B was there!

3. The Winners - Sorry, but I just have to gush about Taron Egerton winning. In the long-run, I don't think the Golden Globes really mean anything (they lost credit about a decade ago). However, the race for Best Actor is tight this year, so it actually mattered who won this particular race - in regards to who will get Oscar nominations (and I do think the Oscars matter. It's obviously the ultimate goal of an actor to have "Oscar Nominated" or even better "Oscar Winner" in front of their name). It's not a lock for Egerton, yet, but he has a much better chance at cinching the nomination now that he won this. And he deserves it. Not only is his performance in Rocketman absolutely brilliant, he's been severely under-rated from the Kingsman movies and Eddie the Eagle. I will never forget sitting in the theater watching the first Kingsman, and after a few minutes in, my friend looked over at me with this "uh-oh, Michelle's in love" look and we both burst out laughing. It's true - Eggsy has a very similar story arc to my soulmate Ryan Atwood (yes, of The O.C), and it is totally my type. After the second Kingsman came out, I was even more invested and decided to watch an interview with Egerton - and at first, I was honestly, severely disappointed - he's not even close to Eggsy's "chav" character, he's like, really well-spoken (with a completely different, but still hot, accent) and went to Drama school, and HE CAN SING. I was shocked, but I also had this realization that he's not just a pretty face - he can actually act. So now I love him for a completely different reason - he's passionate about what he's doing, he's extremely talented, and um...he's really hot. It was probably the first time I've ever rooted against Leo DiCaprio winning an award (I would have still been happy if he won - Leo fangirl forever), but it was really satisfying watching the kid from Kingsman on that stage. And, as dumb as it is, if the kid from Kingsman gets an Oscar nomination - I might cry. As for the other winners, all are fabulous - I have no complaints. If Jodie Comer has to lose an award, it's only acceptable if she loses it to Olivia Colman. I also LOVE that 1917 really threw a wrench into everyone's predictions. I haven't seen it, but for some reason I just find it hilarious that it won two of the biggest awards.

4. The Fashion - My jaw dropped to the floor when Saoirse Ronan appeared on the red carpet - just absolutely stunning. But my favorite dress was worn by Laura Dern - that is a "me" dress and I would literally wear that to work (I have a similar one that I dress down with a moto jacket and booties). I also really liked Kaitlyn Dever's graphic floral number. The worst dresses were pretty obvious - the big bow disaster that JLo was wearing and that big green balloon dress that Jodie Comer wore. Man, how do you look in the mirror and think that those looks are flattering? It blows my mind.

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

-Uhhh...I'm struggling here. While I haven't seen a majority of the nominated films, I have seen some pretty wonderful films and performances that were left out. In general, though, there are some strong people in many of the categories - Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories are just FILLED to the brim with talent (p.s - the words "first time Oscar nominee for Directing, Spike Lee" absolutely boggles my mind. How is that even possible?).

-First Man for the technical awards (Visual Effects and the sound categories)

-Roma for Cinematography

The Bad: 

-The entire Best Picture category. I probably shouldn't even be writing this post since I've only seen 2 of the nominated films - Black Panther and Roma. While both of those movies are good, I've definitely seen 8 films from 2018 that are better.

-Incredibles 2 is one of the worst animated films I've ever seen

-I have not seen Bohemian Rhapsody or Green Book, but I've read some of the criticism of both. I've also heard from many people that they loved both movies. So....*shrugs shoulders*


The Snubbed: 

-OH SO MANY. The most egregious one is First Man for Best Picture, Cinematography, and Supporting Actress for Claire Foy (who should have been in the running for Best Actress for Unsane as well)

-There were so many insanely great female performances last year - Charlize Theron for Tully, Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in Thoroughbreds, Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Kindergarten Teacher, Rachel McAdams in Game Night, Toni Collette for Hereditary, the list goes on, and you will never convince me that Melissa McCarthy gave a better performance than any of them (I have not seen Can You Ever Forgive Me, but there is just no way.).

-I didn't think he would win, but I really wanted to see my Bradley Cooper get a Directing nomination. Ditto for John Krasinski.

-The more I think about Tully, the more I love it - surely it deserves some screenwriting love?

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

-My favorite film of last year remains Dunkirk and I don't really see that changing even though there are still plenty of films that I haven't seen yet. It's visually stunning, memorable, and a technical masterpiece. I am thrilled that Nolan is being recognized as one of the greats.

-While Dunkirk used sound and silence as part of its storytelling, Baby Driver blew me away with its use of music, and sound. I'm not normally very passionate about technical categories but both of these films did something different that impacted the final outcome of the films, and that should be awarded.

-Logan got an Adapted Screenplay nomination?! Did anyone predict that? I was certainly not expecting that, but I AM HERE FOR IT. I would love to see it win but I think that's the one win that Call Me By Your Name will receive.

-Obviously, genius cinematographer Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049 (for the fucking win, please!)

-Both Lady Bird and Get Out are in my top 10; they are both wonderful movies but I honestly hope they don't win the big award. Saoirse should get Best Actress and I can see Peele getting Original Screenplay but please, let that be it.

The Bad: 

-Another year gone by with me having seen barely any nominated movies. It's just too hard to get to an independent theater. And when I have the time, I usually prefer to just stay home and watch a movie. Which is why I'm a big fan of the Netflix model. While I didn't think Mudbound was as good as I had read; I am happy that Netflix films are being taken seriously.

-Considering I haven't seen a majority of the movies, I guess I'll keep my mouth shut about some nominations that I find more than a little hard to believe, but...The Boss Baby?....really??

The Snubbed: 

-By far the biggest (and most expected) snub of the year is James McAvoy for Split. It's a damn near perfect performance.

-Denis Villeneuve should have received recognition for directing Blade Runner 2049

-I know that mother! caused a lot of division among critics, but it blows my mind that anyone would put it at the worst of the year (and that Jennifer Lawrence would receive a Razzie! That's just ridiculous). I think Aronofsky could have easily been nominated (love it or hate it, it's a very well-made movie), and I've NEVER though Lawrence was award-worthy UNTIL this movie. How ironic.

-While it was a mess of a movie, Valerian could easily be nominated for some of the technical awards. And for Costume Design.

4 Thoughts on the Golden Globes

1. The Host - I like Seth Meyers as a comedian, but I don't really think he has the energy or charisma for hosting big awards shows. The Golden Globes are better for him than say The Oscars, because there are no big numbers or productions - it's literally just jokes and then presenting the awards. And in this case, he did a great job. Some of his jokes hit low, but I think that was necessary. It was a tough year for Hollywood, and it's the first big event since the Harvey news broke and the whole #metoo campaign went into full-force, so I'm sure it was pretty stressful to get the tone right. And in my opinion, he did. It was funny, but also serious. My favorite joke was the dig at Kevin Spacey ("I hope he can do a Southern accent because Kevin Spacey sure couldn't").

2. The Show - My favorite part of the show was watching it with my boyfriend who has never watched an awards show before, and has no interest in pop culture whatsoever. I, myself, am an awards show junkie, but I've gotten much better in recent years. I really only watch "the big 3": The Golden Globes, The Emmys, and The Oscars. I just assume that everyone follows entertainment news, but then my bf asked questions like "are they really dating?" about Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel (they've been married for like 6 years! How did he not know that???), "she has 17 kids?" after one of the E! hosts joked about Angelina Jolie arriving (he knew that she adopted a lot of kids, at least, but found it totally believable that she was up to 17), and my personal favorite "what the Hell does 'woke' mean?" (which has nothing to do with the entertainment industry, but they sure do use the word a lot). He also could not stop laughing at the name "Armie Hammer". You may think he lives in a bubble, but he can tell you exactly how far along the cure for Cancer is, the newest developing technological advances, and he can build a radio from scratch, so I am the one who is clearly in the bubble (and I prefer it that way). Watching movies, tv shows, following entertainment social sites, watching awards shows, etc. all help my sanity, it helps drown out the real world. Unfortunately, with the show focusing on "real world" issues, I couldn't stay in my preferred bubble. I'm sort of conflicted about the whole thing. I do think people in positions of visibility should use their power to highlight a cause they care about, but I don't think a dumb awards show is necessarily the best place for this to happen. I also do think that the whole "Time's Up" initiative is at an awkward stage right now, where there is a lot of support from people who are actually part of the problem. It's a bit hypocritical to wear a "Time's Up" pin if you've recently worked with Woody Allen, or if you're Gary Oldman (who has not only been accused of domestic abuse, but has also always prided himself in NOT being politically correct, using offensive language, and is now suddenly calling for a "change"...UM WHAT?). That being said, there were some powerful moments - let's start with Oprah. It's so easy to make fun of Oprah. My mom and I have a bit that we do anytime someone says anything about bread, we scream in unison "I LOVE BREAD". However, on a serious note (extremely serious, you guys), Oprah has had a very strong impact on my mom's life, and therefore my life. Back in the mid 80s, my mom was in a very abusive relationship and she didn't even know that what she was experiencing wasn't normal. Oprah was just sort of coming into her own with her new talk show, and she used her visibility of being invited into the homes of women to talk about serious issues, and one of her episodes was about domestic abuse and how it effects children, but more importantly it gave resources and tips on how to get out of these relationships. To put it simply, Oprah saved my mom's life. I often think about this, and also how my mom might have figured it out without Oprah's help (my mom is super smart), but the facts....are the facts. Oprah's speech was perfect in recognizing the power that film and television do, in fact, have. I also found Natalie Portman's retort of the "all male" directing category to be a memorable moment - it's not really fair to blame this on the Golden Globes, though, and I think it made the directors that were nominated feel bad about something that's not their fault. The real problem is that there AREN'T that many female directors, and just because they direct a film doesn't necessarily mean they should be nominated if they aren't worthy. My picks for best director this year are all men - Aronofsky, Villeneuve, Nolan, Wright, and Peele (and I haven't even seen The Post, The Shape of Water, or Three Billboards). The problem is systemic, and maybe that's changing, but I still applaud Natalie for pointing out the hypocrisy. The absolute worst part of the show is that Tonya Harding was not only there, but she was celebrated. I don't fucking understand! A show that was focused on women supporting other women is going to celebrate a woman who assisted in the violent attack of her competitor??? I haven't seen I, Tonya, and I actually look forward to it, and as I admitted previously, I have sympathy for Harding (as a victim of abuse), but she does not deserve praise in ANY form. I'm actually disgusted.

3. The Winners - The show was filled with so many "moments" that I don't actually remember who won. It sort of doesn't really matter. The Globes have never really predicted future Oscar winners, nor has it had any real impact on anyone's career. I think the only thing it has done lately, is pick fantastic new television. I emphasize the word "new" because the Globes have, for the past 3 years, chosen a "new" show over a "best" show. I haven't seen The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and I'm sure it's good, but it's weird that Master of None has been consistently called the best television comedy of last year, and it lost to a show that no-one has watched. Also, HOW is the new Will & Grace nominated? I was a big fan back in the day, but the new season is almost unbearable to watch. There are a dozen other comedies that could have been nominated. I don't really have any issues with anyone else who won except maybe Elizabeth Moss, but then again, I haven't watched The Handmaid's Tale yet. I think she's a terrible actress, but I would love to be proven wrong.

4. The Fashion - One part of the whole "Time's Up" initiative that I whole heartily do not agree with is the "wear black" thing. First, it's a disservice to fashion designers. Awards shows are a big deal for fashion designers (and fashion is just as much of an art as entertainment is), and as much as women might not like to be asked "who are you wearing", it's part of the red carpet process. Obviously, the people behind this initiative see the importance of fashion, which is why they are using it to "take a stand", so again, it's hypocritical to shun the importance of "who are you wearing". Second, I found the whole thing to be a bit bullying. If someone didn't wear black they were singled out, as if they don't support women. Third, it's dumb. I can't even comment on the fashion because it was just a sea of boring black dresses. Yes, there are more important things in the world, but if you really feel like sending a message then maybe boycott the whole thing and volunteer at a women's shelter instead? Or, um, maybe wear dresses made by women designers?

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

- While 14 nominations for La La Land seem excessive, the film is deserving of the acclaim. It is my favorite film of 2016. I just wouldn't put it in the same category, as say, Titanic, but whatever. Emma Stone deserves the win on this (although I am biased, and I haven't seen the other films from the nominated actresses).

- So The Lobster is a 2016 release? Even though it played at three different film festivals in the U.S in 2015? I don't get it!!! However, I am super glad for the Original Screenplay nomination - it's definitely one of the most original films I've seen in a while.

-"Can't Stop the Feeling" was from Trolls? Really? I had no idea. But I will always be happy for a Justin Timberlake nomination.

- Zootopia was in my Top 10 list from 2016, which it's rare for an animated movie to make it to the list.


The Bad: 

-Every year there are major what the fuck nominations - and this year comes a random nomination for Suicide Squad (granted it's for makeup, BUT STILL).

-Aside from a few minor surprises (Ruth Negga, Viggo Mortensen) everything seemed to fall into place, which is a bit disappointing. It kind of takes the fun out of the whole thing when literally every single blogger predicted the exact lineup for Best Picture. Booooooorrrrrring.

-Why not fill that 10th slot?? There were a lot of GREAT movies this year. And I haven't even seen most of the nominated films. Plenty of films are deserving of that 10th slot, though. My personal pick would have been 10 Cloverfield Lane, but Nocturnal Animals could have easily filled that slot.


The Snubbed: 

-My favorite female performance of the year (yes, even more than Stone) is from Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I've been hard on her in the past (ahem, Smashed *winces*), but she is spectacular in 10 Cloverfield Lane.

-People are clamoring about Amy Adams being snubbed. I haven't seen Arrival yet, but I'm going to guess that she is superb as per usual.

-I was one of those people who were actually rooting for Deadpool to score a nomination - just one would have sufficed (maybe Adapted Screenplay?).

-While I hate to admit it, Aaron Taylor-Johnson gave a superior performance over Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals. Shannon was more understated, and he is ALWAYS phenomenal, so an Oscar is well-deserved, but I think it edged out Taylor-Johnson for the nomination, and for that, I am not happy.

-Speaking of Nocturnal Animals - it's probably the most visually stunning film, highly deserving of a Cinematography nomination and also for Tom Ford. Same could be said for The Neon Demon and Nicolas Winding Refn, but I knew that was a long-shot.

-So if The Lobster is 2016, then where are the rest of the nominations? Especially for Colin Farrell??

4 Thoughts on The Golden Globes

1. The Host - One of my favorite opening sequences to any awards show was the Jimmy Fallon hosted Emmys, when he sang live to Springsteen's "Born to Run". It was energetic, fun, and featured a slew of guest celebrities singing and dancing along (including the late Cory Monteith - NOPE STILL NOT OVER IT). Anyway, my point is, I am a big fan of Fallon. I watch The Tonight Show because of him (I hated Leno), and I still watch his old SNL skits and laugh my ass off. I'm not really sure when it became "cool" to hate him (I know a lot of people have trouble with his "normalization" of Trump, but I think that is an overreaction. He's not a hard-hitting journalist. He's an entertainment host who is probably warned against any political stand. Does everyone remember how much shit The Roots got for playing the song "Lyin' Ass Bitch" for Michele Bachman's intro?). I think Fallon is a much better host than Jimmy Kimmel, who is somehow hosting The Oscars this year, even though he was a terrible Emmy host. Sure, Jimmy sticks with light material, his strengths, and plays "nice" with celebrities, but I still think he's funny (I think Gervais is funny too, even though he does the exact opposite in his hosting gigs). That being said, I think this is the weakest Fallon has been in a long time. The opening sequence was cute, I guess. I haven't seen La La Land, so it didn't really mean much to me, but I enjoyed the cameos - obvi. Justin Timberlake should have hosted the whole show with him! Wouldn't that have been spectacular.?! Jimmy didn't really handle the teleprompter thing very well, considering his experience. He is trained for live television and for improvisation, instead of coming up with a quick-witted sketch, he just joked about the prompter not working and then....joked again about it not working. That's about all I remember of his hosting duties. He kind of disappeared for the rest of the show, and I wonder if it was intentionally supposed to be like that, or if he realized he was bombing and decided to scale it back a bit.

2. The Show - Overall, I found the show to be pretty boring. Mostly because, again, I haven't seen La La Land. It's annoying to watch an awards show in which EVERY award is going to a movie that you haven't seen yet! The show had some really great moments, though. Obviously, Meryl is perfect. She will be referred to as "Dame Streep" for the rest of eternity, and I *might* have to forgive her for her ludicrous portrayal of Margaret Thatcher (again, *might*). The best presenters, always and forever, were Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell. I mean, that could have gone really badly, but their deadpan presentation was just hilariously perfect. The worst was obviously Sophia Vergara, the accent is no longer funny - even on Modern Family. The speeches were blah, except for Tom Hiddleston who told an overlong, tone-deaf tale of how much his show helps people. It was spectacularly narcissistic, and I think it made a lot of people lose respect for him. I loved the reaction shots from the audience, though. They were all trying to work out how this speech was going to end, and upon realizing it was the epitome of a humblebrag, I could almost hear their stomachs turning. I also though it was super weird to do a tribute to Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, but none of the other entertainers who passed away in 2016. Losing these two legends so close together is devastating, and a huge loss to the entertainment industry, but Florence Henderson, Garry Shandling, Gene Wilder, and Patty Duke are also legends, so....what gives? I thought it was tasteless.

3. The Winners - So, obviously, I need to see La La Land. But actually, out of the total 10 picture nominations, I've only seen 2 of them and they are both in the comedy/musical category - Deadpool and Sing Street. I'm one of the few who don't really get the love for Sing Street, but I LOVED Deadpool. I don't get why there is so much backlash - first, it received both critical and audience praise; second, it was really funny; third, people have been complaining for YEARS that comic book movies are ignored during awards season and now there is finally a movie that (rightfully) broke through the barrier, and people still complain! WHAT THE FUCK? Just be happy for once. I was shocked that Natalie Portman didn't win for Jackie, I thought that was actually the only real "lock" of the season. I was also shocked that Aaron Taylor-Johnson won for his supporting role in Nocturnal Animals, but I can't argue it - he was so terrifically creepy. On the television side, I don't get the love for The Night Manager. It's a good series, and I love Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman, but I don't think either of them were worthy of awards specifically for this show. Especially up against another fantastic year of television. I'm happy that Sarah Paulson won, and that American Crime Story took the big prize - I was nervous that it was actually going to go to The Night Manager, and that would have been really frustrating (but the Golden Globes are usually pretty frustrating). I'm also happy that Atlanta won, even though it wasn't my favorite comedy of the season (Better Things is), it's still original, and extremely well-written and acted. The Golden Globes are known for going with new shows, so I think everyone assumed that Westworld and Stranger Things would sweep, but they went with The Crown (also new, but not really as well-known), which reminds me of when they awarded Mozart in the Jungle last year, and everyone was like "what's that?", and guess what...it is a fantastic show. So, I will definitely give The Crown a watch soon.

4. The Fashion - Hands down, best dress was Emma Stone's starry gown. It's so ethereal, and relevant to what she is nominated for. Plus, I love how pale she is; it's hard for pale women to wear blush tones, but she pulls it off and looks stunning (and I've seen people list it as a "worst" dress, and I am STUNNED. Like, how can that possibly be worst? I don't get it). I also really liked Lily Collin's dress. It's not something I would wear (too poufy for me), but she looked like a princess. I loved the super low-cut trend that Jessica Biel and Kristen Bell sported, but I don't actually like the dresses. I don't really like to call people out for "worst" dressed, but there were some dresses that I just don't really understand - like Sophie Turner's dress - it looks like it went through a shredder before she put it on.

4 Thoughts on The Golden Globes

1. The Host - I really don't care what anyone says, I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious. And mean. Very mean. I'm considered a nice person (and I'm often criticized as being "too nice", to which I say fuck right off. I'll be as nice as I wish.), but I often roll my eyes at celebrity hi-jinks. I feel like Ricky calls out the bullshit. A perfect example is Jennifer Lawrence and her "essay on feminism". As a feminist, I will admit that it's absolutely necessary for all women to speak out about the injustices of the pay gap that still exists. HOWEVER, when you're throwing numbers around that exist in the millions, the message gets lost. It's absolutely ridiculous for someone making 52 million in one year to complain about any type of money issue. If she wants to make an impact, then I suggest she donate to the millions of women who live in poverty because they can't afford to pay a babysitter, and therefore have a hard time maintaining a job. I'm on one of my epic sidetracks now, but my point is that it's hypocrisy at its best (worst?). Ricky making fun of her is essential, because some of these celebrities live in clouds - and sadly they are the ones with enough money to make an impact. I feel a similar way about the Caitlyn Jenner fiasco. Sure, transgender role model, but she KILLED SOMEONE, so human role model? Um. No. I love that Ricky pointed out that she "didn't do a lot for women drivers" (and is he really getting flack for saying that? That was in no way criticism of the transgender community, but a comment on how that family is so popular that they are essentially above the law. If anything it's a joke about female drivers, which isn't a new joke, and it's true. Women are shitty drivers.). So, needless to say, I enjoyed Ricky as the host. Keep those "mean" jokes coming, Ricky.

2. The Show - Last year, I watched the Golden Globes on an hour delay so that I could fast-forward through all the boring parts. This year, I didn't even watch it until the next day. It just doesn't feel like an important awards show anymore. I know, I know "important" and "awards show" doesn't really go together. But, as someone who loves movies and television, I love to see talent awarded, and I used to love the Golden Globes. I appreciated that it didn't really take itself too seriously. Now, though, the Hollywood Foreign Press just doesn't seem to be inline with my opinions (doesn't make them wrong, but I mean, they did nominate The Tourist. Nope, still not over it). I like that the show doesn't really have any sketches or gimmicks. It's just a host and presenters. You think, it would move pretty quickly, but nope. The main reason for this is that almost all of the presenters obnoxiously tried to steal as much stage time as possible. They need to limit who gets to do elaborate jokes, and they should do a better job of approving said jokes, because Jonah Hill dressed as the bear from The Revenant is a severe waste of precious minutes. And, what the fuck was with Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence? Why did they start talking all whiny like that? Was that supposed to be funny? Sexy? It wasn't either. The only presenters I enjoyed were Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling (because duh), and Amber Heard and Jaimie Alexander (also, because duh). There really wasn't even any good speeches, either. The worst (by far) was Quentin Tarantino accepting the award for Ennio Morricone, and he made the win all about himself (that's soo Quentin). Even Denzyl Washington seemed clueless on stage accepting an award that he knew he was going to win. Oh, I did like Taraji P. Henson's "I've waited 20 years for this" shout at the orchestra. Those poor people, they tried their best to play off every single winner to no avail. They even (had the nerve) to play off Leo. That's brave, orchestra people. I think the best part of the show was all of the audience reactions that were caught on camera. I know Leo's face when Lady Gaga bumped his arm is the one that became instantly popular, but the one that made me laugh was Alan Cumming's reaction after the banter between Ricky and Mel Gibson. Plus, it took balls to pan the camera to Harvey Weinstein when Ricky was talking about producers paying for awards. I mean, it's a known thing, but still...He's right there! And he owns Hollywood. I wouldn't mess with him.

3. The Winners - 2015 wasn't one of my favorite years in film. The Big Short is a landslide for my favorite movie of the year, so I would have liked to see it win for Bale and for Comedy. And speaking of comedy, let's get this out of the way, because it was continuously joked about - The Martian is not a comedy in any way, shape, or form. I wouldn't categorize The Big Short as one, either, but at least, there are very funny moments. I didn't laugh at all during The Martian, although I did hear of people laughing (was it the disco thing? Because that was just the same joke, over and over again. How is that funny?). I think the whole reason that I ever liked the Golden Globes is because they separated comedy and drama. But, it defeats the purpose, if they are just going to fill the comedy category with dramatic movies. I can't really comment much further on the movie side of the awards, but the television side was straight up crazy. First, how did no-one tell me that one of my favorite actors, Gael Garcia Bernal, is in a television show? HOW?! (Also, how do I watch it? I loathe Amazon. Is there another way?). Second, how did Mr. Robot not win? WAIT, WHAT?! They actually awarded the best show of the season?! HOLY SHIT. Kudos, Hollywood Foreign Press, you may have gained my respect again. Another one they got correct is Maura Tierney. I've been a huge fan of hers since NewsRadio, and of course, E.R., and I am in complete shock that this is her first Golden Globe nomination (and win). She definitely stole the show in season 2 of The Affair. It made me sad that someone like Rachel Bloom (who might be very talented, I don't know), can win such an award so quickly (off of a 1/2 season of a show that not many people watch), while it took Tierney 20 years? It kind of puts the whole ridiculousness into perspective. Third, how did Ben Mendelsohn not win? I love Christian Slater, but Ben deserved the win. Plus, Lady Gaga is alright on AHS. She's better than I thought she was going to be, but award-worthy? No fucking way. Overall, though, I can't complain about a show that gives an award to Leonardo DiCaprio AND Kate Winslet (Titanic fangirl forever).

4. The Fashion - There were some really beautiful dresses this year. My favorite is surprising because I usually like more subtle dresses, but I thought Kirsten Dunst looked absolutely stunning. The shape of that dress is just perfect. I think it's impossible to look at her in that dress and not say out-loud "DAMN, GIRL". I also liked Brie Larson's goddess dress and Alicia Vikander's white dress, which are both things that I usually don't like. I really didn't see any stand-out dresses that I didn't like, and I don't really care to look through the sea of pictures to find one. The guys were all pretty handsome, too. Brad Pitt looked like late 90s/early 00s Brad Pitt (my favorite Brad Pitt). And Christian Slater! I never really thought he was hot like most girls my age, but now, at 46(!), he's really handsome. Orlando Bloom looked real good, too. I didn't realize he was coming back to the POTC saga. I feel like he's kind of disappeared. The worst was Channing Tatum's hair, which was much more disturbing that Jonah Hill as the bear from The Revenant. 

4 Thoughts on the Emmy Awards

1. The Host - I've never really been the biggest fan of Andy Samberg. On SNL, he always came off as a narcissistic, privileged, frat-boy type of personality. I found some of his stuff funny, but mostly obnoxious. However, I became more of a fan with Brooklyn Nine-Nine (hilarious show). I don't think he has necessarily changed, but my perception of him did. He seems like he has a lot of fun with what he does, and he also seems to appreciate his privilege. This is exactly how I would describe his performance as Emmy host. He had fun and he seemed happy to be there. The opening song was really cute and relevant to how we watch television today. I feel the stress of watching EVERY show possible. It's overwhelming to think about all of the shows I still need to watch, and I watch a TON of television. The other highlights of his hosting gig were: 1. "Racism is over!! Don't fact-check that." 2. The Mad Men parody. 3. Classifying Louie as "jazz" (that's actually quite fitting). 4. His dig at Paula Deen & Kim Davis: "If I wanted to see an intolerant woman dance, I would have went to one of Kim Davis' four weddings".

2. The Winners and Losers - I thought this was going to be an easy awards show to watch. There were so many wonderful shows and talented performers nominated; I thought it would be pretty impossible to piss me off. Then, Game of Thrones won the awards for writing, directing, and series, and my blood began to boil. Game of Thrones is a good show. Above average? Sure. I'll even concede the directing award, because it's such an epic show, with so many different characters and plots; making it all cohesive, is a talent that deserves recognition. It is not, however, a well-written show. I'm often questioning character motivation because of inconsistencies in development; I get bored after watching 2 episodes in a row because it's repetitive; and, for a show that is geared towards "geeks", it isn't especially intelligent. I understand that it has a huge fan-base, but even the biggest fans have called the past season its worst (I just finished season four, so I wouldn't know). There is no way anyone will ever convince me that it should win a writing award over Mad Men (and it's certainly not a better show). Anyway, moving on, I was happy with all of the other winners. At least they were smart enough to give Jon Hamm an Emmy, fucking finally (although, I admit, I always rooted for Bryan Cranston or Michael C. Hall in the past). While, I love Amy Poehler, I knew the award was going to Julia (and she deserves it). I love that not one, but two, women won in the directing category (although, I have yet to see Olive Kitteridge or Transparent). Viola Davis gave an outstanding performance this year, and an even better speech. They threw in a few surprises, too, which is always nice. Regina King should have been nominated several times for SouthLAnd, so it was a bit of a redemption for her to win (even if American Crime was mediocre, at best). And, even though I am pissed at the awards love for Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage is definitely deserving. I tend to zone out during some episodes, but his scenes always bring me right back in. Also, I guess I should watch Olive Kitteridge?? I mean, holy hell, that is one heck of a cast.

3. The Show - While, it seemed to move a little bit quicker than usual, some of the presenters really took their time up there. Do people really think Jimmy Kimmel is funny? Like, seriously? His hosting of the Emmys is probably one of my least favorite, ever, and it wasn't well-received, so why give him so much time up there? The only presenter that I enjoyed was John Oliver because he called out how ridiculous the "limited series" category is. I also enjoyed Tracy Morgan (and that's a sentence I never thought I would say). I find Morgan unbearably obnoxious and self-centered, but he's one-of-a-kind and I'm glad to have him back. Plus, he made fun of his obnoxious behavior...twice! Amy Poehler always steals the show, and I adore her for it. I also thought it was really funny that during Lady Gaga's presentation for Lead Actor in a Limited Series, everyone was laughing at Ricky Gervais, leaving Gaga really confused. Little things like that crack me up. The absolute worst part of the show was the unnecessary spoiler-filled goodbye to shows that ended this past year. It was nice to say goodbye to an epic year in television history, especially with Fred Savage introducing it. Then, before I even realized what was happening, I unwillingly watched the final scene of Boardwalk Empire (I still haven't seen the final season). Who really thought this was a good idea? Especially after addressing how difficult it is to catch up on television shows, in the beginning of the show! So dumb.

4. The Fashion - First, I would like to, once again, question how Giuliana Rancic still has a job interviewing celebs on the red carpet. She is terrible, annoying and arrogant. There are thousands of people in the world who would love her job, and be better at it. I almost died when Sarah Paulson said "no, sorry sweetie, everyone asks me that" after Guiliana is surprised that someone else has already asked her the same ridiculously unoriginal question. Anyway, in regards to the fashion (I love it, get over it!), I wasn't that impressed. Off the shoulder dresses are so unflattering (what woman wants to look like she has broad shoulders?), and they were EVERYWHERE (Paulson, Sarah Hyland). The usual "risk-takers" that I love, like January Jones, all disappointed. Claire Danes had the most interesting dress; I think I would have liked it if it weren't shiny. I also loved that she totally embraces her body (most women would wear an insanely painful push-up bra with a dress like that). Heidi Klum wore the worst dress. I don't get it at all. And Jaimie Alexander - that dress, it's just so sparkly and bright. I can't look directly at it. I think, overall, my favorite looks were: Allison Janney, because DAMN GIRL. I hope I look that good at 55. Anna Chlumsky. It was pretty, feminine, but still a bit odd-looking. And, Ellie Kemper, with the most beautiful dress of the night.

Emmy Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

-TATIANA MASLANY! The category for Lead Actress in a Drama is extremely tough - causing a lot of snubs (more on this further down), but Tatiana DID IT, YOU GUYS! Usually, a nomination would be enough, but I'm pushing for the win. She deserves it.

-Mad Men is a given, but there was a moment where I thought it might get snubbed for its final season. I mean, it was inexplicably ignored at the Golden Globes last year, so sometimes the "givens" aren't exactly that. I'm really hoping that 8(?)time nominee, Jon Hamm, will finally win because, HOLY SHIT, how does he not have a shelf full of Emmys? Also, Christina Hendricks was divine this season (as always), but her "I want to burn this place down" deserves all of the Emmys.

-The "5-0" episode of Better Call Saul is one of the best episodes of television from this past season, so the writing is definitely worthy of a nomination, and the episode heavily featured Mike, portrayed brilliantly by Jonathon Banks. So happy that he is being recognized for his continued work with this character.

-I'm sorry, but I think it's hilarious that Girls is finally being snubbed. It's such a garbage television show. I don't know how I made it through the horrific first season. Not only is the writing terrible, the acting is even worse. I don't hate Lena Dunham as much as the real "Lena Dunham haters" do, but I just don't really think she's funny. There's just too many great comedic efforts on television right now to honor mediocrity.

-Speaking of great comedic efforts, hooray for Parks & Rec!! And Louie!! And Veep!! Consistently funny, smart, and honest.

-Cicely Tyson gave one of the most memorable performances this past year on How to Get Away with Murder. So memorable, in fact, that I'm pretty sure the Emmy already has her name engraved on it.

-One of my favorite people ever, Pamela Adlon, is hilarious on Louie. She's been nominated before for writing, but never for acting.

The Bad: 

-I don't really get the love for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Some of the episodes are funny, but overall I found it just "ok", certainly not an Emmy worthy show. Ditto for the performances - I've never been a fan of Jane Krakowski (even on 30 Rock), and the Guest love for Tina Fey and Jon Hamm is just ridiculous. There are much better comedies - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is my favorite comedy on television and it is consistently ignored. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Episodes, Archer, Nurse Jackie, Mom are all better shows.

-ADAM FUCKING DRIVER. Why won't he just go away?! He's a major reason as to why Girls is such a terrible show, and so hard to watch.

-American Crime is another show that is just blah. This whole "Limited Series" nonsense is just a loophole for mediocre shows. There is no way this could compete with the dramas on television this year. Ditto for AHS: Freak Show. I'm a fan of the AHS series, and some seasons are nomination worthy but this season was its worst (I'm okay with Finn Wittrock getting nominated, though, because Dandy blew everyone else away).

-Elizabeth Moss. I know, I know. Everyone loves her. I don't. I wish the whole show could be redone with someone else cast in the role. It probably would be my favorite show ever, if someone else were in her role. However, I will bow down to that one epic scene she had towards the end of the series. I'm not sure that had anything to do with her, though.

-Grace of Monaco. Hahaha! What? How did this happen?

The Snubbed: 

- The best show on television (now that Mad Men is done) is The Americans. It's a slow burn type of show, but man it's so satisfying. It did receive a writing nomination and a nomination for Margot Martindale (yay!), but it should have been in the Drama Series category (take out Homeland), and Lead Actor and Actress category. There should also be a special category for "Most Memorable Scene That Will Be Burned Into Your Memory Until The End Of Time" for that luggage scene.

-I thought Vera Farmiga was another "given", but that didn't seem to pan out. As I said above, Lead Actress in a Drama is the toughest category. So many snubbed - Farmiga, Julianna Margulies, Kerry Washington, Ruth Wilson, Anna Gunn, and Keri Russell - all AMAZING. However, I don't know who should get taken out. Viola Davis and Robin Wright deserve to be there, and I've heard great things about Taraji P. Henson. My 6 picks would be: Maslany, Russell, Farmiga, Margulies, Davis, Wilson. Geez, that was difficult.

-The Affair was completely ignored, which is a little surprising since it received such an awards push with the Golden Globes. It's a great show - better than Homeland. 

-I know it didn't have a shot in Hell, considering it's never been an awards favorite, but the last season of Parenthood was fucking perfect. Something would have been nice.

-Another long shot? Daredevil. Superhero and science fiction shows are always ignored, but I thought since it was from Netflix is might get some recognition. Vincent D'Onofrio is brilliant - one of the best villains since Arvin Sloan and Sark (Alias always got the bad guys right).

-Snub for Hannibal? Okay...FINE. However, the directing for that show is sublime. It's so fucking beautiful.

-Jonny Lee Miller is killing it as Sherlock Holmes in Elementary. This past season has had some really heartbreaking storylines that he excelled at.

Oscar Nominations: The Good, the Bad, and The Snubbed

While I don't feel like I can truly judge the nominations this year, considering I haven't seen most of the "awards favorites", I still have some opinions: 

The Good: 

-BRADLEY COOPER FUCK YES! Definitely my favorite performance of the year.

-Paul Thomas Anderson - Adapted Screenplay for Inherent Vice (I just saw this today, and it might make my Top 10 of 2014).

-Big Hero 6 for Animated Feature

-Interstellar for Production Design, Sound Design & Visual Effects (Hey...at least it's something!)

-Ummmm....Bradley Cooper!

The Bad: 

-The Fucking Grand Budapest Hotel. Seriously, what the fuck?! Am I the only one who didn't like it?

-Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl. Aside from the stupid fucking screenplay, she was the worst part of the movie. I would have been okay with Ben Affleck scoring a nod, or even David Fincher (there are some really striking, beautiful shots), but I just can't with Pike.

-I can't comment on the other nominees because I haven't seen any of the other nominated movies (which makes me really sad) - out of 8 nominees, I've only seen 2 of them (and I hated 1 of those).


The Snubbed:

-Too many to count, really. Never a bad thing when there are too many movies/performances to consider, but this year the critics and I were on different pages. Here are just some of the movies/people I feel deserved recognition:

-Under the Skin - For something, anything! Best Picture, Editing, Screenplay, Sound Design (that one should have been a given), Cinematography....ANYTHING!

-Jake Gyllenhaal. Nightcrawler is a strong film (not in my personal Top 10, but it's still good), but his performance is really great. While I'm happy that Cooper snuck in a nomination, I'm sad that Gyllenhaal is the one he pushed out. Renee Russo gave a fantastic supporting performance, too.

-Essie Davis for The Babadook. Rare for a horror movie to have that much of an impact and most of it can be credited to her.

-Joaquin Phoenix. He's perfect in Inherent Vice (and PTA really should have received a directing nomination, too, but I will settle for the screenplay one).

-Screenplay for The Skeleton Twins (an actor nod for Bill Hader would have been a beautiful thing, too)

-Tom Hardy. Wasn't the biggest fan of Locke (I liked it, but I didn't love it), but his performance was mesmerizing.

-Christopher Nolan for Interstellar. Hoyte van Hoytema for cinematography. Seriously, it's one hell of a film - how on Earth do these two not get recognized by The Academy?

-I have many more, but I'll just write one more. One that is a bit "out there": Shailene Woodley for The Fault in Our Stars. For real.

4 Thoughts on The Golden Globes

1. The Hosts - I just love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. They are perfect together and they killed this opening monologue. There really weren't any missteps in the beginning. However, as the show went into the North Korea jokes over and over (and over) again, I can't stick up for them. It was just so dumb and boring and it already felt old (I mean, come on...that was like a whole month ago!!). There is still a lot to love, though. My favorite jokes were the George Clooney "Lifetime Achievement Award" gag, the Emma Stone Big Eyes comparison, the "Who would you rather?" skit and the Joaquin Phoenix dis (his wave just made it oh so perfect).

2. The Show - I turned it on about an hour into the live show (I dvr'd it), and aside from the beginning monologue, I was so bored. I fast-forwarded through most of it; and ended up catching up within 30 minutes. The only funny presenters were Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader (absolutely genius; and I loved the way she kept giggling at her own impressions), and Chris Pratt and Anna Faris (love). Even Ricky Gervais disappointed, and I am huge fan (fuck the haters). The winners were mostly annoying - especially Amy Adams who claimed that she "wasn't prepared". It was definitely the least genuine speech of the night. Fuck right off, Amy Adams (I love her, so I'm kidding, obviously). It was fun seeing Julianna Margulies and George Clooney on stage together (HUGE ER fan), but the Cecil B. Demille award? Really? I'm a massive fan, but he just seems too young (and his career didn't really kick off until after Out of Sight, which was 1998 - and that's only 16 years; not exactly "lifetime" status). I hated at the end, when they started rushing everyone because the show was going over in time. I bet they cut some actual funny stuff, which is a shame. 

3. The Winners - I don't have a lot to say about the winners this year, because shockingly, I haven't seen most of the nominated films or tv shows. I knew I would be out of the loop for movies. 2014 wasn't the strongest movie year, for me. I still have a lot to see (even the two big ones are still on my list, Boyhood and Birdman), but in all honesty, nothing is urgent. My favorite dramas of the year, Under the Skin, Interstellar, and I, Origins all received mixed reactions, while my favorite comedy, The Skeleton Twins was inexplicably ignored. Plus, I really hated The Grand Budapest Hotel. It actually made my worst list (but it's already been bumped off). Having seen so little of the nominated movies, I don't think I can fairly judge their winning picks (I can, however, judge the nominations themselves. Having just seen American Sniper, Bradley Cooper is stunning. I can't imagine a better performance. It's better than my previous pick, Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler). I thought I would, at least, have a good grasp of the television side of the show, but man, Gina Rodriguez from Jane the Virgin?! I've never seen the show, but the main reason why I've never watched it, is because the commercials look horrendous; the acting is the worst part. Then, Transparent, took home some of the big drama awards, and I've never seen it (but it's on my list). I'm glad that Fargo beat True Detective. I didn't expect it to, but I think it's a better show. Also, the more I think about True Detective, the less I like the show. It has some amazing elements and some stunning camerawork, but the show, overall is slightly above average. When you compare that to current shows (several of which are stunning), there is no comparison. I am probably the only person who really, truly loves The Affair. I love everything about it. It's definitely my favorite new show of this past season, however, it's not the best drama on television (that title belongs to Mad Men, which I assume wasn't eligible for this year's Globes, otherwise this awards show is truly a joke). There are also other snubbed dramas, like The Americans, Parenthood etc. that are better. And there is also The Good Wife, which I am only on season 4 of, but if it gets as good as most people say, then it has to be incredible (because it's already solid). I'm still happy for The Affair winning, just because I loved watching all of the people on twitter flip their shit over a show they haven't even watched. Let's all remember, this is the awards show that once nominated The Tourist; it's really not that serious. 

4. The Fashion - The one positive note I can say about the show, is that I LOVED most of the fashion, and that hasn't happened in while. Usually I have two or three dresses that I love and I hate the rest, but this year there are like a dozen dresses that I loved. First, best overall stunner, was Jessica Chastain (OBVI). My second favorite was Leslie Mann (she is my style icon. Always and forever.). Other dresses/looks that I adored: Michelle Monogan (slip dresses are hard to wear, and she looked glorious), Ruth Wilson (so weird, and kind of ugly, but the good kind of ugly...if that makes sense. It looks like something I would wear), Sienna Miller (who suddenly has me considering chopping off my hair and dying it blonde. If only I looked like her afterwards! That deep v dress, though. It's just perfection), Emma Stone (who wore pants! And looked fucking SEXY), and a special shout-out to Amy Poehler's necklace (I'm a sucker for a funky statement necklace). The dresses that I didn't like, in no particular order: Katie Holmes (bridesmaid), Salma Hayek (Bride) and Kerri Washington (maid of honor). And the most unflattering dress I may have ever seen was worn by Rosamund Pike, who I've never really been a huge fan of, but I think she is averagely pretty. This dress made her look....just....not good. Not good, at all. 

4 Thoughts on the Emmy Awards

1. The host - I like Seth Meyers, but not enough to watch his late night show. I like his sarcasm, and I enjoyed his "Weekend Update" segments on SNL, I just have no interest in watching him for long periods of time. I didn't really think he would be a good Emmy host, and I was right. He had some funny lines, sure, but overall he lacks the charisma that is needed for hosting gigs like this. It felt like he was doing a "Weekend Update: Emmy edition" and that's not going to translate well on a big stage like that. Most of his jokes were very "inside" television, which is problematic for the audience that watches - I mean, I understood them, but I know most of my friends would have no idea what the hell he was talking about for most of the show. This is one of the few times in which I prefer broad comedy, mixed with a few inside jokes, here and there. I vote to have Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host every awards show for the rest of eternity.

2. The winners and losers - I realize that Breaking Bad is considered a "safe" choice, however it's one of the best shows ever, and the final season is a masterpiece. It deserved every award it got and more. There are so many incredible dramas on television right now, but Breaking Bad was still better. For me, the nominations for Best Drama were clearly missing the best that TV has to offer right now (Hannibal, Bates Motel, The Americans, Parenthood, and I'm only on season 3 of The Good Wife, but if it stays at this quality then yes, it deserves Emmy recognition). Side note: now that Breaking Bad is over, it's finally Jon Hamm's turn (nominated 7 times, with no win - that's a little ridiculous). I realize that people are upset that True Detective was screwed (I think it only won 1 award), especially for Matthew McConaughey's performance, but the Producers really are the ones that screwed the show. They should have put it under the Miniseries category. It would have swept in that category. Personally, I think Fargo is a better show, but I don't think anyone agrees with me. True Detective had 3 incredible episodes (out of 8), while Fargo had 10 incredible episode (out of 10). The only category that I thought was a lock was the Best Actor in a Miniseries category - Billy Bob Thornton surely had that one, but no, it went to Benedict Cumberbatch!?! What? I watch Sherlock, and it's a good show, but he is not better than Billy Bob, or Idris Elba....or Martin Freeman. I really wanted Allison Tolman to win, but her category was probably the toughest - some of the strongest actresses in the industry right there. I haven't seen The Normal Heart yet, I definitely will catch it at some point, but I actually read several bad reviews about it. I'm surprised that it was favored to win in any category, even more surprised that it won for Television Movie. I will always love Ryan Murphy, though. While I may not like (actually really, really hate) the direction that Glee went, AHS and Nip/Tuck are enough for me me to support him for forever. On the comedy side, I am one of the few who will not complain about Modern Family winning. I agree that there are "fresher" comedies on the air right now like Veep and Louie, but being a broad comedy, Modern Family is still consistently funny. That's a tough accomplishment. I would love to see Parks and Recreation, or even something more controversial like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Archer nominated for an Emmy. Also, as many have pointed out the Emmys would benefit from a "Dramedy" category for shows like Orange is the New Black, which is clearly Emmy worthy but should not be put in the Comedy category (just like Kohan's previous show Weeds). I don't hate Jim Parsons, but I've watched a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory and it is an awful, awful, awful television show. I can't imagine his performance is better than the other nominees.

3. The show - Definitely one of the worst Emmys that I can remember - last year was pretty bad as well. I laughed very few times. One was the Billy Eichner sketch. I usually find him annoying, but this was pretty good. Another was with Jimmy Kimmel roasting Matt McConaughey. They were both much funnier than the host, and that's sad. I am not a fan of Weird Al. I never understood the appeal and his performance was one of the worst things I've ever seen on the Emmy stage. Julia Louis-Dreyfus clearly stole the show with her "Hang on, Clark Gable" jab to Bryan Cranston, and of course their kiss before her acceptance speech was perfect. She's always one to entertain. The audience Q & A thing would have been funnier, if the questions were actually funnier - and if there were more comedians involved - like Amy Poehler. That's my advice for any awards show: always more Poehler. Some of the presenters were very wooden - like Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani. They had zero chemistry and looked so uncomfortable. It certainly does not make me want to watch whatever crap reality show they are on. Halle Berry doesn't fuck around - she just walked to the microphone and read the nominees. Done and done. Speaking of Halle, the show seemed to focus waaaay too much on the fact that there were "movie stars" at the show. We get it....movie stars are better than television stars. Now shut the fuck up. Both Julia Roberts and Matt McConaughey looked uncomfortable with the amount of attention they were receiving (and they didn't even win....hahahahaha!). The best speech of the night belongs to Ryan Murphy - "find a cause that you believe, that you will fight for, that you will die for". The memorial for Robin Williams was perfection - Billy Crystal knows how to give a speech; touching and respectful. The end "what a concept" almost broke me (but I was able to stay strong). I do think it's weird that they didn't highlight his performance in Mork & Mindy. The big "controversy" about the show was Sophia Vergara's stunt as an objectified female literally standing on a rotating floor, giving the audience something to look at, while the head of The Television Arts & Sciences gave a speech about diverse storytelling in television. It instantly screamed "sexism", however, I do see both sides of the argument. Vergara saw the intent of the bit to highlight the fact that she can be both "hot and funny", which is something misogynist assholes think is impossible. I don't think it's a surprise that men enjoy looking at her (and they should - she is stunning), and I don't think it's a big deal to make a joke about that. This is what bothers me about some feminist activists - they focus on garbage like this; instead of the real inequalities women suffer. First, this show is actually a great step towards female equality in the world of television. Did anyone notice how many women were on that stage winning awards??? Writers (Sarah Silverman, Moira Walley-Beckett) and directors (Gail Mancuso)!! And almost all of the nominated actresses were women OVER the age of 40. My biggest question: Do these Emmy award winners earn the same pay as their male counterparts? It's highly doubtful. So....if you want to fight the feminist cause, please fight the bigger fight. The only way to make the Emmy awards (and ALL awards shows) truly equate the sexes is to not separate male and female acting categories. It's almost barbaric. Women can clearly compete with their male counterparts in the same category. I think the excuse that is used now, is that separating allows for more nominees - but instead I offer the alternative: separate genres, by adding "Dramedy" "Science Fiction" and even a "New Series" category (with acting nominees in each category).

4. The fashion - Something else that's sexist? The way the red carpet pre-show focuses on the "what are you wearing" question, instead of the work of the nominated actress (I do notice the interviewers asking more men about their fashion in an attempt to lessen the rampant sexism, however, does anyone care what men are wearing? Suits are so fucking boring.). I do love fashion, though. So I play the game. Who had the best dress? Leslie Mann has worn my favorite dress for the past two years, but she wasn't at the show this year, which left me extremely disappointed. I think my favorite dress was worn by Taylor Schilling. It's the same style she always wears, which is a little annoying, but still...she looked insanely gorgeous. I also loved Julia Roberts dress. It's hard to wear a short dress to a red carpet event, but this dress is really cool. I love a short dress/long sleeve combo. There were so many red dresses this year, which I am not a big fan of - but Julia Louis-Dryfuss looked amazing. A lot of people gushed over Lizzy Caplan's dress, but I didn't see the big fuss (although, I hope all of this attention she is getting for Masters of Sex, will translate to a Party Down revival. I miss that show so much). Zooey Deschanel's dress looked like a prom dress from the 90's (or a really ugly Bridesmaid dress) - certainly, not fashion forward. Actually, that is what most of the dresses looked like, which is why I didn't really love the fashion this year. Oh and Lena Dunham....I don't even know what to say about that one.

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad and The Snubbed

The Good - 

-Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club is my favorite male performance of last year; Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave is my second. I am happy that Leo is there, as well.  However, I have a STRONG feeling this will be the surprise win category that the Academy likes to throw in and Bruce Dern is going to walk away with the Oscar.

-I've seen 4 of the nominated Best Picture films and 3 of them are on my Top 10 list (The Wolf of Wall Street, 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. Dallas Buyers Club is a good film with outstanding performances).

-Cate Blanchett deserves every award there is for Blue Jasmine. The best performance of the year, male or female (and don't even get me started on how incredibly sexist it is that these award shows still separate genders. Imagine if your place of work divided people by their sex? It's sad that the entertainment industry believes that women can't compete in the same category as men).

-Two time Oscar nominee Jonah Hill? Yeah...I like the sound of that. He's incredible in The Wolf of Wall Street. Yes, Jared Leto deserves the win.

-Catherine Martin in the Costume Design category for The Great Gatsby.  I don't think any other film has had such a strong effect on fashion this year. Working in a women's accessory store, the most popular request I've had this year is "I want the Gatsby look".

-The entire Directing category is fantastic. The incredible thing is that all 5 directors are so different in aesthetic. For me, it's the toughest category but I would say McQueen has the strongest film, but then again....Scorcese! Plus, David O' Russell is one of my favorite directors. And Gravity is an absolute masterpiece thanks to Cuaron. Hmmmmm...

-The Hunt for Foreign Language film.  It's in my top 10 of the year.

The Bad - 

-Honestly, I'm not too upset by any of the nominations.  Only a few irk me, starting with Michael Fassbender.  If there is a weak link in 12 Years a Slave, it's him.  Sure he was great at portraying true evil, but it was a bit one-note and he struggled with the accent (sorry, I know how much everyone just loves him, but his accent completely distracted me).

-I don't really get Sally Hawkins.  She was annoying in Happy-Go-Lucky and she is annoying in Blue Jasmine.  Is that Oscar-worthy? Or does she just have an annoying personality?  I don't know yet.


The Snubbed - 

-As much as I don't have too many issues with those nominated - there are A TON of snubs.  That's never a bad thing, though - it just means there were too many good movies this year!  I think the biggest snub is for Stoker, which is my favorite movie of 2013.  I didn't expect it to get any recognition, considering it has been shut out of every major awards show, but still.  In my world, Mia Wasikowska would have a Best Actress nomination, Chan-Wook Park would have a Directing nomination, Wentworth Miller would have a Screenplay nomination and Chun-hoon Chung would have a Cinematography nomination.

-My second favorite film is Mud.  McConaughey deserves a Supporting Actor nod and what about Tye Sheridan? He might actually be my favorite male performance of the year, now that I think about it.

-Only God Forgives is a beautiful movie. Even its harshest critics won't deny that.

-12 Years a Slave received nominations in practically every category except Cinematography? That doesn't even make sense.

-I would have loved a surprise nomination for Sam Rockwell for his performance in The Way, Way Back - oh and even Allison Janney was incredible and the Screenplay too.  I just love that movie.

-Julianne Moore gave amazing supporting performances for both What Maisie Knew and Don Jon.  

-I could go on forever...but I'll just do one more: Pacific Rim for Visual Effects and funnest movie of the year (oh is that not a category? Well, it damn well should be).

4 Thoughts on the Emmy Awards

1. The host - Neil Patrick Harris is adorable and I will always be a fan, but this was one boring show.  The beginning was a struggle to get through.  Really, the big opening number is a montage of television shows, weirdly edited together, so that it seemed like he was interacting with the characters. That's it. It was simplistic, boring and not funny at all.  Then, he did a very short monologue that included a joke about Paula Deen (which was only funny because of his "not soon enough?" jab).  Then, he was accompanied by some previous Emmy hosts including Jane Lynch, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. Again, none of it was funny.  I didn't really blame NPH on the catastrophe, until Tina Fey and Amy Poehler appeared and I realized that I would prefer if they stayed on stage instead.  They have the ability to make jokes that don't work, still funny.  It's a talent that not many people have, but it's a must for an awards show host.

2. The winners and losers - When the first two big winners were announced (Merritt Wever and Tony Hale), I was actually really, really excited about the rest of the show.  I am a HUGE Merritt Wever fan. She created the most memorable "wallflower" character in recent memory, as Zoey on Nurse Jackie, and she is the only reason that I have stuck with the show (Edie Falco is also awesome, as expected. The show, however, has its ups and downs).  Tony Hale is pretty fantastic, although I don't watch Veep (it's next on my list, after I catch up on Boardwalk Empire and Californication), I believe that he is deserving. I had a feeling Julia Louis-Dreyfus would win for Veep, as well, and people seem to love Jim Parsons (I don't get it).  It seemed like we were in for an upset on the comedy category with a Veep win, but alas, Modern Family won the big award. I'm not as upset as most seem to be - again, after 4 seasons it is still consistently funny.  I have major love for Louie, but I think it should have won in the writing category (it didn't), not the big award.  When the Drama announcements began, things were looking good with Anna Gunn winning for Breaking Bad. I have never been a huge fan of Skyler, but the way the show was written from the beginning, I would argue that you are not supposed to like her and that's what makes the role and Anna's acting so brilliant.  I wasn't too upset when Aaron Paul didn't win (of course, he is who I was rooting for), because I heard Bobby Cannavale is superb on Boardwalk Empire (I'm not there yet).  But after that, the show went to shit. Jeff Daniels. Come on. I don't watch The Newsroom, but I would love for someone to show me one article, review, anything that states that Jeff Daniels is better in his role than Bryan Cranston or Jon Hamm (It doesn't exist. I've already searched).  Also, Breaking Bad should have won the writing category (that was, like, a given). Then, Claire Danes won over Vera Farmiga.  I would have accepted Kerry Washington, just because I love her, but Farmiga is by far superior to anyone in that category for her portrayal of Norma Bates on Bates Motel.  Claire Danes relies on her "ugly cry face" for every scene in Homeland and everyone thinks she's amazing (I'm half kidding. She's very good on Homeland, but not Emmy good.). I was also rooting for Sarah Paulson to win because she was terrific on American Horror Story: Asylum, but when Ellen Burstyn is in a category, then Ellen Burstyn should win in that category (always and forever). I started to get really nervous towards the end that Breaking Bad wouldn't win but luckily, The Emmys came to their senses. Keep in mind, I am still terribly confused by the many snubs this year (like SouthLAnd and Michael Cudlitz, also Mae Whitman and Monica Potter from Parenthood, everyone and everything about The Americans).

3. The show - What a weird show. It can't all be blamed on the host. The set-up was weird, the "in memoriam" sequences were odd, and there were musical numbers that made no sense (Don Cheadle talking about The Beatles, then Carrie Underwood butchering "Yesterday").  And what about that choreography number? At first, I was like, Ok....that's kind of cool, but then I changed my mind quickly. It's not The Tony Awards.  Does anyone really believe that television enthusiasts care about the choreographers of reality shows? Because we don't. We care about writers, actors and directors. The biggest highlight of the show was in the beginning, with Merritt Wever's non-speech "Gotta go...bye" are the best words uttered on that stage in a long time.  How can you not love her? The lowest point is probably the constant reminder that everyone dies. It's very weird that the producers decided to highlight iconic people that have died this year - the "in memoriam" montage works...why fix it? Why give the audience something else to complain about ("this person should have been highlighted...not that person" bullshit)?  The biggest complaint seemed to be about Cory Monteith - obviously I will stick up for his inclusion, but I think Jane Lynch said it best, in that we are mourning "what could have been".  Yes, more "iconic" people have died this year, but Cory didn't even get the chance. Also, the fact that he was on a current show (an extremely popular show), proves that his death was under different circumstances.  The whole thing was just unnecessary, especially watching Edie Falco fighting back tears when talking about James Gandolfini.  As Steven Levitan said in his speech, it's "the saddest Emmy's of all time".

4. The fashion - For the second year in a row, Leslie Mann wore my favorite dress.  She is just so stunning.  I pray that my body looks like that in 10 years.  You can tell that she has an amazing body in that dress even though she is barely showing any skin.  I also loved Taylor Schilling's dress; I usually hate white dresses at awards show because they look like wedding dresses, but that ain't no wedding dress. She looked hot. I loved the top half of Robin Wright's dress - it's cool and futuristic, but I think it would have looked a lot better if it was a short dress; the solid black made it look too heavy for her. As for the worst, Lena Dunham's dress is hideous, but it's very "her", so I'll let it slide. Amy Poehler's dress was also really unflattering, but when asked what she was wearing, she said "a good attitude", so she is forgiven as well. So, I'm going to go with Melissa Leo, because that white embroidered shirt/skirt combo was inappropriate for a black tie event. Also, Jon Hamm needs to shave...like right now.