Emmy Awards Wasteland

Do Americans watch the Emmy Awards ceremony? I gave it an hour of my life. I found it adolescent as I have always found actors and the entourage around them. That is not to say that I am scornful of their accomplishment. It is valid work for good pay. It requires discipline and talent. I am not quarreling with their accomplishment. From Sophocles to Barry Manilow the line is that of telling a story, singing a song, a celebration of some aspect of life. As the mocking tone of the host produced laughter, one could see that even the audience knew it was a tranparent make-believe celebration and a business. An industry of self-congratulation passing for a legitimate program worthy of your time is always a bit of a stretch. So when my hour had exhausted the program's credibility I rolled over and went to sleep. What lingers this morning is the awareness of the adolescent character of show business people. The host said in his monologue that if the people in audience came from a nurturing family they wouldn't be in show business. It got a laugh and is a half truth. Many of the recipients make a point of thanking their mom and dad for their success. Well, that may be the problem....or not. Some parents do cultivate what they see as their children's talent and we all have heard stories about stage parents. I am suggesting that actors and the film and television industry create a useful escape from the routine, if not dull, lives of their audience. They create, direct, produce, and perform in entertainments that distract us briefly from our toil in the work-a-day world. They must do something to acknowedge their hard work, so they have a party and give out awards to each other, since we only acknowledge their work by ratings for shows and sponsors by reveneues. A show business person once said that show business was like high school only more fun. I guess I am suggesting that entertainers with all of their talent and discipline make a sacrifice of truly growing up for make believe. If they are successful they can dress up for an awards night and hope to be chosen to receive a naked woman holding the world trophy and more work in the industry. The smart ones of course, are not the stars in gowns and tuxedos, but the investors, the sponsors, the producers, the directors, the agents. They are in the real world, while the boys and girls who come to accept their Emmy as adults gulp down their fame as a reward along with good pay.
Some of us roll over and go to sleep.