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?

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.

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.

6 Thoughts on The Oscars

1. The Host - I am a fan of Family Guy and of Seth MacFarlane, but as an Oscar host, I was a little worried.  It was a surprising choice, for sure (especially after the Anne Hathaway/James Franco disaster - I thought that the Academy would stick to "boring" for at least a few years).  The problem is that most of MacFarlane's jokes are crude and inappropriate, which is much better fit for, say... the MTV Awards.  As the show started, I realized that it was actually a great choice - he is charming, he can sing, he has that old-school Hollywood presence to him; He pretty much embodied a younger, hipper Billy Crystal and guess what??? It wasn't very funny.  There were some enjoyable moments, but for most of it, I couldn't even bear to crack a smile.  He wasn't a bad host and I think he will likely be asked back.  I just didn't see anything special about it.

2. The Show - Such an awkward show, if it weren't live I would blame the editor.  It was just so all over the place.  Nothing really worked 100%.  The opening was far too long and way too much of William Shatner (no thank you.).  There were cute moments like Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum dancing and of course, JGL being adorable, but those moments also confused me greatly.  WHY?  What does this have to do with the Oscars?  The sock puppet version of Flight was probably the most relevant skit.  The theme of the show was "musicals", which meant that we got treated to performances from great musicals of the past decade (all 3 of them).  Just because one musical comes out (and might be good. I still haven't seen it.), doesn't mean it should be more celebrated than the other films.  And I know I have a bad memory, but Dreamgirls and Chicago were not that long ago, why pay tribute to them now??  The only song that sounded good was the Les Mis song (Catherine Zeta-Jones lip-syncing was unacceptable and Jennifer Hudson can belt out those notes better than most, but I've seen her do it a hundred times. Can we move on now?).  Then there was the "Bond tribute" which was lame. Why not do "Skyfall" after this tribute? Because that would make sense?  I'm not a huge fan of that song, but Adele deserved better (whoever did the sound mixing during the performance should be fired).  The show felt like it was on for 5 hours (was it?) and there was a huge chunk of time, where I forgot I was watching the Oscars.

3. The Presenters - It's hard to watch presenters bomb, which is why I think most people just stuck to the script.  But man, Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy were so terrible. I could feel the audience cringing in pain. We all knew that Ted would make an appearance with Mark Wahlberg, but I was really impressed with the effects for that. I also enjoyed Wahlberg's "No B.S., it's a tie" (good job censoring yourself, Mark). No one else really sticks out in my mind, except Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain - now that is an inspired pairing (Sydney Bristow and Maya!  Terrorists beware!!).

4. The Winners - Even though some of the people I was rooting for didn't win, I still can't really complain.  I guess my biggest upset is Jennifer Lawrence (over Jessica Chastain).  Lawrence was great in Silver Linings Playbook, but I don't feel like it was an Oscar-winning performance, while Chastain was sublime in Zero Dark Thirty.  Speaking of sublime, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is honestly, some of the best acting I've ever seen, ever.  I would love to be angry about his loss, but when Daniel Day Lewis is the winner, I can't really complain (and how cool was Meryl Streep announcing it??  She didn't even pause for a second, causing speculation over whether she even opened the envelope.).  I still haven't seen Lincoln, but if people say DDL deserved the Oscar, I have no reason to question that.  I would have loved to see Benh Zeitlin win for directing the stunning Beasts of the Southern Wild, but Life of Pi was also a beautifully made film (not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the technicality of the film).  We all know that the Director statue really went to Ben Affleck and I am happy that the producers of the film recognized that and let him speak (as the Director) when Argo won.  I am incredibly happy that Argo won.  While my favorite film of the year is Seven Psychopaths, I can't deny that Argo is definitely a better made film (I can think of a total of zero flaws).  It's been a long time since I agreed with the Academy on Best Picture (since 2006, with The Departed).  We also agreed on Supporting Actor (Waltz), Original Screenplay (Tarantino) and Animated Feature (Brave).  The fact that I'm not even that upset over some of my favorites losing, just proves how great 2012 was for film.

5. The Speeches - Not only did Jennifer Lawrence fall, but she acknowledged that she fell and that is the only reason anyone stood up for her - causing anyone who wasn't already swooning for her, to now swoon for her.  The only other speech really worth noting was Ben Affleck - he was speed talking (I would be too, considering Jaws was apparently attacking people for talking too long.  Fucking hilarious.  Inappropriate, mean-spirited and FUCKING HILARIOUS). Affleck's speech was reminiscent of his speech when he won for Good Will Hunting, which was one of my favorite Oscar moments ever.  He seems like someone who is genuinely happy just to be making movies.  I think we are going to see him up on that stage quite a bit, over the next few decades.

6. The Fashion - You know how little girls imagine what their wedding dresses will look like?  Well, I never did that.  I did, however, picture what I would wear to the Oscars.  It is statistically more possible that I will attend the Oscars than get married (although, I've succumbed to the fact that I might be there as someones date.  Wow.  Did I really just write that?  That's a pretty depressing statement and not like me at all.  I seriously need to get out of this funk that I am in.).  If I were to attend the Oscars, I would be fighting my conflicting instincts.  My first instinct is that it is the Oscars and since I am someone who is interested in fashion, the dress needs to make a statement.  My second instinct is that I hate being the center of attention, so I need to blend in.  Quite a predicament, isn't it??  There weren't really too many exciting dresses on the red carpet.  I think Jessica Chastain looked divine - I would probably crown her "best dressed".  I always hate the wedding dress trend at these events (doesn't everyone realize how ugly wedding dresses are?), and Jennifer Lawrence takes the cake on that one (because she looks like she belongs on the top of a cake).  I think the only dress on the red carpet that I would actually wear is the one that Stacy Keibler was wearing.  It's modern, glamorous and sexy (and no cleavage!).

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad and The Snubbed

The Good:

-Argo, Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook are in my top 10 of the year (I still haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserable, Amour or Lincoln). 

-Will Tippin!!!! 

-Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is my favorite acting performance of the year.  I was nervous that he ruined his chances with his negative remarks about awards.  It doesn't matter if he wants them, he still deserves them.  Sublime performance. 

-The entire Best Supporting Actor category is filled with awesome actors.  That's a tough call, but I would give it to Christoph Waltz. 

-Meryl Streep has no chance of winning an Oscar this year.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Meryl for the most part, but when she is nominated, she wins.  It's frustrating. 


The Bad:

-Life of Pi is a gorgeous movie, but it failed in its message.  I agree with the technical nominations, but best picture?  No way. 

-I completely disagree with the love for Moonrise Kingdom.  The more I think about it, the more I hate the film.  I was even tempted to put it in my worst of the year list.  While the screenplay is original, it's not nomination worthy.  At all. 

-This is the first time in a looooong time that I've actually seen most of the nominated animated features.  While Brave almost made it to my best of the year list and I enjoyed The Pirates: Band of Misfits, I don't see anything special about ParaNorman or Wreck-it Ralph (both are cute).  How are these Oscar nomination worthy films??? 

-Snow White and the Huntsman is nominated for 2 Oscars.  I actually commented positively on both the costume and the visual effects....but still. 


The Snubbed:

-The most talked about snub, is by far the most egregious: Ben Affleck for directing Argo. 

-I knew my favorite film of the year, Seven Psychopaths, would be snubbed.  However, the screenplay is borderline genius, as is Sam Rockwell's performance. 

-Susan Sarandon is amazing in Jeff, Who Lives at Home. 

-Leo DiCaprio for Django Unchained.  Although it is a tough category, I would have preferred him over Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook. 

-I would have loved a screenplay nomination for the most original movie of the year, Looper.

-Liam Neeson is incredible in The Grey.  I haven't seen Flight yet (and I don't even want to see it), but I have an inkling that Neeson deserves the nomination more than Washington. 

4 Thoughts on the Emmy Awards

1. The Host - Jimmy Kimmel wasn't a bad choice for hosting the Emmys, but I don't think he was the best choice, either.  I don't watch his talk show, but I've seen plenty of clips and yes, I usually laugh.  He's never really wowed me though.  I was worried with the opening sketch that consisted of Botox humor, fake punches and a naked Lena Dunham; especially if you compare that opening sketch with my favorite opening sketch from a few years ago with host Jimmy Fallon recruiting Jon Hamm, Cory Monteith, Tina Fey, Joel McHale and others to bust out on stage with Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run (if you don't know what I'm talking about, watch it: http://bit.ly/b56ba8 ).  I smiled for days after watching that.  This years opening fell flat and it set the tone for the rest of the show.  I didn't laugh out loud at any of Kimmel's jokes.  He didn't seem to be having any fun up there, but in his defense, he did keep the show moving smoothly. 

2. The Winners - AARON PAUL!!  I was actually rooting for Giancarlo Esposito but Aaron is still a win for Breaking Bad and he is just as deserving.  I think Aaron was as surprised as everyone else that he beat out Gus Fring and I loved their little exchange of hugs and kisses (Also, HOLY FUCK, Aaron Paul's fiance is gorgeous.).  I was hoping that his win was just the beginning of the Breaking Bad sweep, but unfortunately it all went to shit after that.  I haven't seen Homeland yet. I have read a ton of great things about the series and about Claire Danes, but I've never read or heard anyone claim that it is the *best* drama on television.  I have heard best *new* drama.  Breaking Bad season 4 and Mad Men season 5 consisted of some of the most brilliant drama I've ever witnessed on television. Mad Men has been on an Emmy winning streak, so I understand the need to move on.  It's just ironic that the past season was its best (plus if The Daily Show can win 10 times, then so can Mad Men).  It should have, at least, won the writing category, while Breaking Bad should have swept the directing and acting categories.  Although, I always go back and forth between Bryan Cranston and Michael C. Hall, I would have been happy with Jon Hamm winning (he still hasn't won an Emmy).  On the comedy side of things, I've read a lot of people upset over Modern Family winning, which I think is odd.  It's a consistently funny show, with a great cast.  Out of the nominated shows, it is the best.  Louis C.K. won for writing Louie, which I think is enough (he doesn't deserve the acting nod since he PLAYS HIMSELF and the show, while brilliantly written, is not better than Modern Family).  I did not realize that Pamela Adlon helped write some Louie episodes.  I adore her. Also surprising, the winning writer for Game Change was the kid that played Jonathon on Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!  That blew my mind.  I would have loved to see Merritt Wever win for Nurse Jackie, but I knew that was a long shot and I would have preferred ANYONE else over Jon Cryer. 

3. The Show - It wasn't just the host that was flat; the skits, the presenters, the winners speeches, everything about it was just plain blah.  I won't remember a single thing from the show a week from now.  There was a cute Modern Family sketch and a really funny Breaking Bad sketch (that seemed like it was cut short) but they were followed by a really awful Big Bang Theory sketch (it baffles me that people actually find that show amusing).  There were some funny presenters; Seth Macfarlane not knowing where the microphone was; Stephen Colbert joking about the "war on women" noting that out of the 7 women up for Lead Actress in a Comedy, 5 of them are great (side note: there were 7 nominees for this category!!); Aziz Ansari doing a British accent so people think he is a better actor (I don't know why but when he said "fish and chips", I giggled); Ricky Gervais proving that he only needs a few minutes to prove that he is the best comedian in the room, while also acknowledging that Louis C.K. is the "second best".   There were some really awkward presenters as well - the worst being Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton, both seemed aggravated and gave off a weird vibe (doesn't bode well for their new show).  All of the speeches were dull, but leave it to Amy Poehler to liven things up by switching speeches with the winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (we all know that was Amy's idea).  I can't believe that they cut off the acceptance speech for Modern Family (and to think, the guy who directed the show won a freakin' Emmy!!).  That was really tasteless. 

4. The Fashion - Most of the fashion was boring this year.  Apparently, the banana look is the big trend this year.  While, Julianne Moore and Claire Danes made this trend a disaster, Leslie Mann was absolutely stunning.  She looked comfortable, effortless, fun and still sexy (and not in the cleavage-baring kind of way).  Perfection.

Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad and The Snubbed

The Good:

• Midnight in Paris is nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. Amongst the 9 Best Picture nominations it would be my pick.

• Brad Pitt was awesome in Moneyball which normally doesn’t surprise me but this was such a different role for him. The film would not have been on anyone's radar if it wasn't for him.

• Overall, the Best Actress category is full of talented women so I can’t complain – It is a bit surprising that Tilda Swinton was not among them after all of the amazing things that I have read, but I am actually happy that Rooney Mara snuck in there (still haven’t seen the Fincher version – but of all the clips I have seen she nails the role of Lisbeth).

• As much as I hate The Help, the acting talent definitely deserves all of the recognition they are getting.

• Bridesmaids is one of my favorite films of 2011, but I never thought it was Oscar worthy. I do think that Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo successfully wrote a comedy that was absolutely hilarious, while also having relateable characters and a heart that most comedies lack so I am satisfied with their nomination. Also, I adore Melissa McCarthy –so I wont complain about her nomination either.

• I am still not quite sure how I feel about The Tree of Life, I know I didn’t like it as much as most film critics. I will admit that the film is beautiful, poetic and visionary – Terrence Malick’s passion for art and film is evident. It is nice to see someone like that nominated for an Oscar.

• Something for Warrior!!!! Nick Nolte snuck in a Best Supporting Actor nomination – I only wish that Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy had snuck in as well.


The Bad:

• The Help was a painful experience.

• Judging from the comments on my Twitter feed, War Horse was painful as well.

• I’ve never read anything but mediocre reviews about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (aside from the performance from the kid and Max von Sydow).

• Michelle Williams was a lock (that I disagree with) but Kenneth Branagh? Really? I barely remember him at all in My Week With Marilyn.

• Transformers: Dark of the Moon was nominated for 3 awards. Enough said.


The Snubs:

• Drive should have been nominated in pretty much every category. Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actor (Albert Brooks), Best Director (Nicolas Winding Refn), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hossein Amini) and Best Picture. It’s an insult to the film industry that it didn’t make it into at least one of these category’s (It did score a measly ONE for Sound Editing).

• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were not nominated for the amazing music they created for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?? I can't comprehend that one.

• One of my favorites, Super 8, was a guaranteed snub for Best Picture and Best Director (I would also argue that Elle Fanning should have been nominated for Supporting Actress – she was brilliant) but I assumed it would get a visual effects nod.

• I didn’t see Shame yet but based on their previous collaboration (Hunger) and all of the amazing things I have read, Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender were deserving.

• Charlize Theron was really the only reason I would recommend Young Adult to anyone. I was mesmerized by her (she should have replaced Michelle Williams).

• I know Another Earth was not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t argue that Brit Marling and Mike Cahill wrote a beautiful, inspiring, original screenplay.

• I would have jumped for joy if Joseph Gordon-Levitt got a nomination for 50/50. My second favorite Actor performance of the year (behind Ryan Gosling for Drive). Also Will Reiser should be nominated for the screenplay.

Golden Globes: 7 Best and Worst

A few years ago I wrote a blog about the Golden Globes being my favorite awards show (they award both television and film; they split comedy and drama etc), but last year I was really disturbed by the films and acting that they deemed nomination worthy (i.e 'Burlesque', Piper Perabo). This year the nominations weren't *as* bad although they missed quite a few of my favorites of 2011 ('Drive', Aaron Paul, Courtney Cox). I don't think I can really take this awards ceremony very seriously until they start re-thinking their nominations. Here are my best and worst from this years telecast:

BEST:

1. Best Win - That is a tie between Idris Elba for Luther and Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris. I've never seen Luther but Idris never got enough recognition for his work as Stringer Bell on The Wire, so I will accept this as compensation. Midnight in Paris is among my favorite films of 2011 but mostly for the beautifully inspiring screenplay - it was probably the only time during the awards that I shook my head in agreement.

2. Best Loss - The Help losing Best Drama. I really don’t understand the praise for this film. While, I certainly don’t think The Descendants was the Best Drama of the year I was rooting for anything to take the steam away from The Help.

3. Best reference to what I call 'The Tina Fey Syndrome' - Tina Fey! While presenting with Jane Lynch they spoke about how different they were from their characters – then Tina jokingly couldn’t come up with anything….because she plays a characterized version of herself on 30 Rock. I love Tina but I never understood why she got so much praise for “Liz Lemmon” when she wrote the character based on her own life – she’s not exactly stretching her limits.

4. Best Presenters - A tie between Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy’s very adorable and really well done jingle and Seth Rogen – who probably made me laugh the hardest with his announcement that he is hiding a “massive erection” while presenting with Kate Beckinsale. Then he really won me over by sarcastically describing My Week With Marilyn as “hysterical”.

5. Best Ricky Gervais moment - His opening was decent – not as good as last year, but I think expectations were high…maybe a little too high. I think it hurt his whole shtick that most people played along – Jodie Foster smiled and nodded as he joked about her “beaver” while Johnny Depp gave in to the fact that he hasn’t even seen The Tourist either. I think my favorite moment was when he called Colin Firth a racist - although it would be funnier if it was someone who was actually a known racist.

6. Best Speech - Claire Danes redeemed herself for all the speeches she gave for her Temple Grandin performance were she continually said the words “like” “awesome” and “um”. This time she remembers back to her teen years, winning the award for My So-Called Life and how she forgot to thank her parents - then she gives a heartfelt shout-out to her mom in the audience. I also enjoyed Sophia Vergara saying her speech in Spanish with Steve Levitan “translating” – brought some much needed laughter to the end of a very long show.

7. Best Dressed - The ever important question of the night...right? There were a lot of amazing dresses to be seen - like the warrior inspired dress that Nicole Kidman was wearing and the really sexy, but still classy dress that Rooney Mara wore. My two favorite looks of the night were Kristen Wiig and Emma Stone. Wiig stood out in a low-cut nude number - it was simple but still really elegant, while Emma gets the "most-improved" award (last year she looked horrendous with the blond hair, overly tanned skin and bright orange dress) - this year she rocked a gorgeous Lanvin dark purple and red dress complete with an unexpected eagle belt buckle.

Worst:

1. Worst Win - Michelle Williams secured her spot as an Oscar nominee but I really disagree with pretty much everyone. She did a really good impression of Marilyn Monroe but it wasn't worthy of all the praise. I would have been more ok with the award if she was nominated in the Drama category - since this is the one awards show that splits the Dramatic and Comedic acting I think this category should go to someone who was actually funny - like Kristen Wiig.

2. Worst Loss - What does HFPA have against Breaking Bad? Seriously, the show was snubbed for recognition for the past 3 years, along with Aaron Paul. I would also argue that Giancarlo Esposito created one of the most evil villains in recent memory and deserved a supporting actor recognition as well. For the past 2 years, they had the good sense to nominate Bryan Cranston (who has won 3 Emmy’s for his brilliant portrayal of Walter White) but he lost to Steve Buscemi last year but that wasn’t as much a punch to the face as this year’s winner – Kelsey Grammer? For real? I get that the Golden Globes usually pick “new” shows – and if they recognized Breaking Bad from the beginning I might not be as outraged. Bryan Cranston should never be on the losing end of any award. Period.

3. Worst reference to what I call 'The Tina Fey Syndrome' - It was sort of ironic that Matt Le Blanc won for his portrayal of... Matt Le Blanc. I’ve never seen Episodes and to be honest I have never heard anything good about it. Is Matt funny? Probably. Is is award-worthy? My answer is a resounding NO!. I feel the same way about Louis C.K – should he get a writing award for Louie? Hell yeah – that show is downright genius but when he was nominated for an acting Emmy, I definitely questioned it. I also don't think Zooey Deshanel should be getting any praise because I see no differentiation between her and her New Girl character.

4. Worst Presenters - I would like to go with Rob Lowe and Julianne Moore but that wasn't really their fault....so I will choose everyone else!! Seriously, everyone was really boring.

5. Worst Ricky Gervais Moment - Making a “like a virgin” joke about Madonna??? There are so many things to make fun of Madonna for – this one is just simply played out. Also, her “comeback” jokes were pretty unbearable to watch.

6. Worst Speech - Meryl Streep – I know everyone made fun of her for “acting surprised” but I actually think she expected Viola Davis would win. But then, she realized that she forgot her glasses so she couldn’t read her speech – however she wasn’t holding a speech and she sort of implied that it was on the monitor…which would just be weird. The whole thing struck me as odd – as was the camera panning to the celebs in the audience passing her glasses up to the stage only to have David Fincher keep them (what a dick)

7. Worst Dressed - There were a lot of flops like Jessica Beil wearing an antique wedding dress, the usually trendy Julie Bowen sporting a princess look that was much too immature for her and Sarah Michelle Geller who let her 2 year old daughter pick out the dress (which is totally cute so we might just have to let it slide…right?). Hands down Zooey Deshanel was the worst dressed in her “custom Prada”. Shame on them for letting her leave the house like that. Also, as much as I like the idea of Lea Michele’s dress – In the end it looks like something is growing on her body and about to suffocate her. I was having a panic attack just looking at her. Plus the hair

and makeup make her look older.

.

The Emmy's: Best & Worst

The Emmy's were handed out last night - the results were quite surprising, the host was above average and the show moved pretty quickly. Here is the Best & Worst of the night:

Best:

1. Emmy fashion done right – To be honest, none of the fashion really stands out to me this year. There were a lot of “trends” to be seen - here are the ones that got it right:
Aubrey Plaza - simple, done right. Usually Claire Danes takes the cake on this one…but Aubrey looked so glamorous in this simple white gown – I didn’t even recognize her at first. Kate Winslet – red, done right. Red was obviously the biggest trend of the night – but Kate still stood out among the sea of red – the makeup, the hair, the smile: perfection. Heather Morris - flat chested, done right. Heather recently admitted that she had her breast implants removed, which was a little disappointing at first because her body was bangin’, but damn she still looks good. Welcome back to the flat-chested girls club, Heather. Claire Danes – sparkles done right. I’m not usually a fan of the strapless, sparkle dress but this one has an interesting color palette and a pattern that is hypnotizing. Dianna Agron – risky, done right. The dress was weird....weird color, weird drapey neck... but Dianna rocked it – you could tell that she felt beautiful which made her beautiful. And I can’t ignore the men – Cory Monteith – mixing it up, done right – men’s fashion bores me to tears but Cory mixed it up a bit with the white, textured bow tie making him stand out in the sea of penguin suits.

2. The surprise winners – I thought this years Emmy’s were going to be boring! I’m glad I didn’t place any bets on winners because I would have gotten them all wrong (except for Mad Men & Modern Family taking the big prize). I loved all the actors wins – especially Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen (who I griped about last year for not even being nominated!). I thought Chris Colfer would win (only because the MF actors would cancel each out in the category). The big surprise was Jim Parsons winning over Steve Carrell – This will definitely go down as one of the biggest Emmy snubs ever. Michael Scott is an iconic character that will live forever – how did he not get an Emmy for that? Anyway, I was happy to see Melissa McCarthy win (Tina Fey had her moment, but I was hoping for Amy Poehler). I don’t watch Mike & Molly (and I never plan to) but I loved Melissa in Samantha Who?. Over on the drama side of things, beloved character actors Peter Dinklage and Margo Martindale won for supporting roles– both were shocking but very well deserved. I know the people over at EW.com were ecstatic about Kyle Chander’s win (they are obsessed with FNL – should I start watching it?). It was really nice to see that Emmy voters really mixed things up and made it interesting (finally!).


3. 'The Office' sketch – I was dying through the whole thing. Aaron Paul!!! I fucking love him. Then Nathon Fillon saying “all the black guys at work call me ‘white castle’”. I actually lauged at Kim Kardasion (there is a first time for everything) – “what do you mean by work? Am I saying that word right…work?” And of course, Ashton Kutcher “I was wondering where the ½ man was”.

4. The funny stuff– Ty Burrell easily had the best speech – talking about what his deceased dad would think about his success. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. The nominees for Comedy Actress rushed the stage and then they acted like it was a pageant – complete with roses and a crown. Freaking hilarious. Jane Lynch threw in a couple of funny lines too – like “a lot of people are very curious about why I am a lesbian – ladies and gentleman…the cast of 'Entourage'.” The other thing that I thought was hilarious was during E!'s pre-show they focused on this whole “drama” between Sarah Hyland and Lea Michele because Sarah apparently made a joke about how Lea works a red carpet. She mimicked her poses and talked about how awkward it is to watch her do in person. Sarah is now being attacked by the wrath of Lea’s fans – poor girl was just making a joke with no malicious intent at all. The funny part is that the E! camera’s kept panning to Lea doing this exact same pose that Sarah made fun of…over and over…and over. Hilarious.

And the worst:

1. Emmy fashion done wrong - Katie Holmes – simple, done wrong. The plain blue dress will ill-fitting and unflattering – adding a gold belt doesn’t make it glamorous. Nina Dobrev – red, done wrong. Ok – the girl looks gorgeous, however I am just not feeling the Jessica Rabbit look. She looks uncomfortable which is far from sexy. Lea Michele – flat chested, done wrong (also red…done right). I love the dress, but Ms. Michele is usually known for showing off her non-existent cleavage. I don’t like the covered up look on her and because she is flat-chested the dress doesn’t fit her on top (side note…check out the pose). Evan Rachel Wood – sparkles, done wrong . The black sparkle dress was just way too overbearing for her petite frame. She looked like she was being swallowed whole. Gwyneth Paltrow – Risky, done wrong. Oh Gwyneth - did you really realize on the red carpet that your dress was see-thru…because I don’t believe you. The cut-out midriff genie/belly dancer dress was super unflattering. Joel McHale – mixing it up, done wrong. Still hot, but I just really didn’t like it.

2. The suprise losers -
So, I already mentioned Steve Carrell’s surprise loss, but I am also pretty upset over Michael C. Hall not winning. Since Bryan Cranston wasn’t nominated this year – I think everyone assumed that Jon Hamm would take it, but I thought for sure it was Hall’s year. He is by far my favorite television actor ever. I wasn’t really surprised that Glee lost, but I am a little bitter. I figured if it didn’t beat Modern Family in the first year, it certainly won’t beat it with its less impressive second year. Hopefully, season 3 will be award worthy. I also am disappointed that Louis CK didn’t win for writing – I disagree with his acting nod, but that show is brilliantly written.

3. The opening sketch – It wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t that great. It felt like it had too many cameos shoved into one space, it was hard to appreciate any of them. I thought Jimmy’s opening sketch was much better last year, yet Jane got a standing ovation (Jimmy did not – which was not cool!). I did think that the Mad Men part was funny – “you can fast-forward through commercials” – the look on Don Drapers face was priceless. But then it just made me miss Mad Men - which made me sad.


4. The not-so-funny stuff - How awful were “The Emmytones”! So awkward to sit through and I thought I could sit through anything Joel Mchale does….I guess that’s not true. Also, the announcer’s “jokes” while the winners were coming up to the stage were painful. I know I am alone in this but I didn't really think that The Lonely Island performance was that funny - I wish Justin was there...somehow I know he would have made it work. And the worst moment of the whole night: Charlie Sheen. You all remember that this man plead guilty to beating his wife…right? He is far from entertaining and I am really disappointed that he was even allowed on that stage (and then my heart literally broke when Jimmy Fallon stood up and clapped for him).

The VMA's: The Best and the Worst

I know I am a few days late to discuss the VMA's but there was this whole hurricane thing going on that kept me a little preoccupied. Luckily, I am home now...safe and dry. I was able to watch the VMA's - power went back on just as the show aired - overall the show itself has been on a steep decline, but this years wasn't as bad a the past few years.

Here are the highlights -

1. Adele - Probably the biggest highlight of the night - the only performer who didn't feel the need to go over the top. She just stood up there and sung her heart out and it gave me chills. 'Someone Like You' is my favorite song on her album - I often burst into tears while listening to it so I actually have to turn it off sometimes. She got a well-deserved standing O from the audience and made the entire show worth watching.

2. Jessie J - Yes, it totally sucked that the poor girl was in a leg cast and had to sit through the entire show. It was awkward to see her writhe around in that weird electric chair-slash-throne. Yet, I give her props for going through with show at all - if her leg is in a cast then she must be in some pain (I'm not even sure what her injury was and don't care enough to look it up...). She became a highlight for me when she sang 'Firework' after Katy Perry & Kanye won for 'E.T' and she sounded a million times better than Katy. I found that hilarious. Then Jessie won my heart by busting out with TLC's 'Scrubs'.

3. Twitter - It is totally more entertaining to watch a bad awards show while reading hilarious tweets - my favorites were from @questlove (which for some reason have vanished from his twitterfeed) - my favorite was while Britney was accepting her MJ Vanguard award he tweeted "I. Can. Read." He also made a funny comment on Kanye rooting for Chris Brown as JayZ sat in his chair and pretended like he didn't exist but I can't remember the exact phrasing. I also loved @EWTimStack who wrote "I have no idea who Young the Giant is but I do know that Jared Leto played Jordan Catalano. #neverforget #imreallyold" - Because that is exactly what was going on in my head at that moment. Also, you can officially call me a Demi Lovato fan - I love her for calling out all of the people who were commenting on her weight gain - the girl just got out of an institution for having an eating disorder. We should be worried if she wasn't gaining weight. People are just jealous - because dayum she looked good.

4. The Amy Winehouse Tribute - Two people I am not a fan of: Russell Brand & Bruno Mars. Yet, I have to admit that they did a stand-up job in paying tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. Russell is completely annoying to listen to and he speaks too fast - so it was hard to hear exactly what he was saying - but the gist of it was that yes, she had a horrible disease of addiction but that didn't define her. She also had this incredible talent that made her special. He used the terms "loose canon" and "crazy" which I think some might find disrespectful but I appreciate his candor. Bruno Mars performed an amazing rendition of 'Valerie' (although I would have rather seen the Glee kids doing it). He sounded fantastic and the whole theme was very fitting and respectful.

and the lowlights:

1. The Britney Tribute - The blink-and-you-miss-it tribute was pretty painful. First, why not get well-known artists to pay tribute to her? Instead of a bunch of back-up dancers (no offense to them - they danced their asses off) - I just think she deserved a bit more respect. Speaking of RESPECT - back the fuck up Lady Gaga or Jo or whatever you want to be called when someone is accepting a lifetime achievement award. Stealing the spotlight is not cool - have we learned nothing from Kanye? AND don't even get me started on the poor girls "speech" which she read from a teleprompter. My friend says that Britney reminds her of a marionette now - with everyone else pulling strings controlling her every move and this whole disaster proves her right. Can the poor girl not even have enough freedom to speak her own words from her own heart? Are they scared that she might go batshit crazy again? The speech got even more awkward when it turned into her introducing Beyonce who quickly stole her thunder by announcing her pregnancy in the most adorable way possible.

2. Katy Perry - This girl gets on my last nerve. I enjoy both 'E.T' and 'Firework' so I have no problem with them winning...but "Video of the Year" really? Does she deserve that much credit? 'Rolling in the Deep' should have won (clearly...) but then again I haven't watched either video....because I honestly haven't seen a video in YEARS. Do they actually even exist anymore? Anyway, back to Katy - I just don't see the talent and I consistently read bad things about her from critics - so I am not sure why she is winning awards. Plus, seriously what was with the cube on her head.

3. Lady Gaga/ Jo - Not a fan of this "alter ego" crap but that isn't the part that bothers me. It bothers me that she sounded so fantastic (one of the best of the night) yet, NO ONE is talking about that because they are focused on her "dramatics" instead of her "talent". But that is her own fault. AND yes, she reminded me of a bad impersonation of Adam Goldberg and no, she can't act so I hope she doesn't think she is going to be an actress now...

4. Chris Brown - I am sad for the Chris Brown situation. He is an incredible dancer and performer - I just can't support him. I am someone who loves to believe that people can change - just because someone makes a horrible mistake doesn't make them a bad person right? But every time I give someone the opportunity to change my mind - 90% of the time they fail (but the 10% is worth it....like Mark Wahlberg for example). Chris Brown started off in the right direction - public apologies, anger management but none of it seemed to work instead of proving that he is in fact a "decent guy" he instead further pushes himself towards the "angry black male" stereo-type (throwing chairs through windows, going on homophobic tirades on twitter). So, Chris - You had your second chance and you blew it. Now get off of my television.

4 Gripes I Have With The Emmy Nominations

1. Apparently we are not watching the same shows - As much as I appreciate that they finally recognized a fan favorite show like Friday Night Lights (I've never seen it...but I always hear great things) and the ever hilarious Parks and Recreation, I am appalled at the blatant ommisions of fantastic shows - like Southland, Fringe, Cougar Town, Community, Weeds and Parenthood.

2. The 'locks' - I thought for sure Courtney Cox had it this year for her work on Cougar Town. She was snubbed for 10 years in a row with her work on Friends and now she returns to television still hilarious and neurotic, yet completely different than Monica Geller and they still ignore her. To make matters worse, they nominate Matt LeBlanc for Episodes (which he plays himself!! This is always problematic for me - along with Louis C.K's nominations. Really how much 'acting' does that require?!). Other 'locks' that didn't pan out - Anna Torv and John Noble for Fringe. Words can not express how shocked I am at the omission of Torv - who had one of the most difficult roles on television this year by portraying 2 versions of the same character and she was fucking brilliant at it. What more does a girl have to do??

3. The 'Modern Family' effect - How fantastic is it that everyone from the show was nominated...right?? Except that the actors now dominate both supporting actor and actress in a comedy category (and will likely split votes anyway). I love the show....love the actors...but nominate Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen - then call it a day. There are plenty of talented and hilarious actors on other comedies.....like Aziz Ansari, Nick Offermam, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe from Parks and Rec (again just choose one....I would go with Scott) or Danny Pudi from Community. The actress category isn't as tied up - and I don't mind Sofia's nomination - but they seriously f'd up with Kristen Wiig and Jane Krakowski (2 of the most irritating women on television). They could have picked Busy Phillips or Christa Miller from Cougar Town or Lea Michele, Naya Rivera from Glee (I'm pretty sure Lea submitted herself as lead actress - which is why she didn't get nominated).

4. Speaking of 'Glee' - The show would obviously benefit from a 'dramedy' category but let's forget about that for a second and focus on the actors - first Jane Lynch is amazing (as I said before - she created a character that will live forever...). However, this season she didn't have much to do. Other people that didn't have much to do....um how about all those nominated 'guest actors'??? How do you nominate Gwyneth Paltrow and Kristen Chenowith for showing up for an ep or 2 work their butts off then leave while you ignore the actors that do that every week? It is not just a comedy - its a freakin' weekly musical, which involves recording studios, dance rehersals, etc. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both characters (although Gwynny got a little stale) but it is just problematic for me that they are getting more recognition than the regular actors on the show.

Emmy Nominations: 7 That Won't Make The Cut (But Deserve It!!)

Emmy nominations are around the corner - instead of going through each category and choosing who I think deserve nominations I decided to write a post listing those who will likely be overlooked but are deserving. Here we go:

1. Candice Accola ('The Vampire diaries') – Season 1 focused on the 3 main stars- Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and the super sexy Paul Wesley. They did a fantastic job at turning another "vampire tale" into an incredible "must watch" show. Of course, all three were snubbed last awards season and the same thing will likely happen to the supporting cast who took on some major story arc’s this season – like Michael Trevino, Steven McQueen and Candice Accola. I chose Candice to represent all of the supporting cast on this show because I actually thought she was a weak actress in season 1 - definitely the weakest link on the show. She proved me wrong and I freaking LOVE it (I soooo want Dianna Agron to do the same thing on Glee but sadly she just keeps getting worse). A lot has happened to Caroline Forbes this season – gone is the spoiled, vapid girl whose only care was what she would be wearing to the spring fling. Literally – gone…as in dead…..because she became a vampire!! And the transition was gut-wrenching. Her character is also in a love triangle that is slightly more interesting than the Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle. She fell in love with Matt, but then forged a strong bond with Tyler Lockwood (who in theory is an enemy as he is now a werewolf). She had to convince me to care about her and her relationship with her mother and she succeeded brilliantly. Sadly, her work will go unnoticed by the “real” critics.

2. 'Southland' – I am really hoping that someone…anyone from the cast gets a nomination because I think it will at least be a nice validation for us Southland fans. I think based on Season 3, Shawn Hatosy has probably the strongest chance at a nomination (because he had an amazing story arc) but I could argue that Ben McKenzie (aka grown up Ryan Atwood) is the most consistent. I am really pulling for Hatosy because he is one of those actors that I grew up watching (The Faculty, Outside Providence) but he never really stood out until this show. He really holds his own amongst a strong cast of fantastic actors (Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Kevin Alejandro). However, I think it is pretty close to a 0% chance that the show would receive a nomination – which is a damn shame. It is one of the strongest dramas on television – with conflicted characters, fast-paced action and drama that unfolds rather quickly (instead of dragging on forever…ahem…The Killing….ahem). The show is also filled with jaw dropping, WTF just happened moments like when Nate got killed – that episode will stay with me forever as one of the most unexpected deaths on t.v (the whole episode is set up to make you think something happened to Sammy’s unborn baby – it was a pure genius move). I really enjoy that they make all of the characters unlikable at some point – with very realistic human flaws (although I find it impossible to hate on Ben – he’s just too adorable). It's a shame that such a strong show will be overlooked.

3. Busy Phillips/Christa Miller ('Cougar Town') – I can't choose between the two - together they form hands down the best 'frenemy' relationship on television. While I am happy to see that Busy just won the Critics Choice award for Supporting Actress, I have a strong feeling that this won’t translate to the Emmy Awards. The supporting cast of Cougar Town is hilarious – all of them. However, Laurie stands out as one of those characters that I would usually dislike (annoying, dumb, insecure, desperate etc), but somehow Busy makes the character work. I actually like her and I want to give her a big hug and tell her to believe in herself…corny but oh so true. I love the tension between her character and Ellie (Jules’ other bff) – they hilariously tear each other apart but you know they secretly love each other. Christa is hilarious as the bitchy, snide but sometimes vulnerable woman - she has some of the best lines on the show and her delivery is always perfection. P.s - I am confident that Courtney Cox will make the cut this year.

4. Joel McHale ('The Soup') – Yes, he is fantastic as the cocky, sarcastic playboy Jeff Winger on Community, but I look forward to him every week as the host of The Soup – where he is self-deprecating, hilarious and still sarcastic. I know that most of The Soup’s hilariousness should be credited to the writing staff – but so can most “Variety” shows (Leno, Fallon, Stewart), we all know that the enjoyment factor comes right down to how lovable the host is….and McHale is swoon worthy.

5. Mae Whitman ('Parenthood') - How does she outshine one of the best actors on television (Peter Krause) every week? I have no idea - but she does and she deserves an Emmy nomination for it. It helps that her character is the one that I can relate to the most - she portrays teen angst with heartbreaking realism because she actually has a reason to have angst (unlike other teens on tv....). Her father is a fuck up and her mom has made a lot of mistakes, which causes her to be perpetually angry but then towards the end of the season she realizes that her mom is human and is doing the best she can - her transition from angry to self-reproachful was beautiful. Mae is a rare young actress that commands my attention when she is onscreen yet she is not dramatic and obvious - her acting is subtle yet penetrating.....Emmy worthy.

6. Cory Monteith ('Glee') – In my mind, Cory has already won the Emmy for his role as Finn Hudson on Glee. He has won a lot of other awards in my mind as well – like “most adorable man ever”, “hardest working actor on t.v” and the award for “most likely to get me to cook him breakfast the morning after…”. But, let us be serious for a second, on a series with such an amazingly talented ensemble cast – I think Cory has been the most consistent. He elevates what could very easily be a just another dumb jock role to a complicated, endearing and naive teenage boy – but more importantly a realistic one. In all honesty – the second season of Glee was a little shaky but every episode that relied heavily on “Finn” ended up being the strongest and most solid episodes of the season (Furt, Special Education, The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle..). He has that rare thing called "charisma", his ability to express emotion with his facial expressions always impresses the heck out of me, his singing has improved tremendously (because he works his ass off), even when he is in the background he is always doing something entertaining AND if you consider that his role is considered in the “comedy” category – he is hands down the funniest male character on the show (which is why Chris Colfer’s inevitable nomination for his role as Kurt is complicated – it is not exactly laugh out loud funny especially this past season). Sadly, he is guaranteed an Emmy snub so he will just have to settle for the awards I make up in my head....like "hottest former bad boy" or "best worst dancer on tv".


7. 'Fringe' - While I fully expect that Anna Torv and John Noble will be nominated for their work on the show, I doubt the series will make the cut. This past season was the best yet - with epic story lines about alternate universes that are at war with each other mixed with smaller 'fringe' cases that somehow turn science fiction into everyday events. The writing on the show is fantastic - presenting us with the alternate universe with alternate characters like "Altivia" and "Walternate" who are essentially the same characters but yet somehow different. To be able to pull that off - and make us actually care about this "other" world is beyond amazing. The show is grounded by its characters who are flawed but lovable and it presents us with plots that are completely unrealistic but somehow are given very realistic "scientific" explanations - so even if someone isn't all that interested in shows about supernatural events - I think they can still enjoy this one. I would say it is JJ's best attempt yet at creating a series that feels complete (unlike Lost and Alias - where he got too caught up in creating mystery and had too many good ideas shoved together). Forget the nomination - the show should win the freakin' Emmy (I only say this because Breaking Bad isn't eligible this year and I have not seen the past season of Dexter yet).