The 53rd Emmy Awards

Laurie Cohn Rosenthal
Mirror contributing writer

   It’s a strange time to be alive. The tragic events of September 11 changed the scope of our daily lives overnight. We’re in a war with a country the majority of Americans probably couldn’t find on a map before September 11, although I suppose we should feel good since we bomb them with food half the time. Dubya’s approval rating has skyrocketed. Some people are so paralyzed with fear and uncertainty that they have stopped living their lives in a regular way. And yet, in true show biz fashion, the show must go on, and did, even if it was delayed twice.
   For some, last Sunday must have been a difficult television choice. There was the seemingly round-the-clock war coverage on CNN, MSNBC, and other channels. There was the final game of the World Series, later in the year than usual due to September 11. On Sunday, the Emmy Awards finally happened, after much speculation about canceling this year’s ceremony altogether. Certainly the massive revenue guaranteed by the show, coupled with the fact it has never been canceled before, were big motivating factors in keeping the show alive.
   I hadn’t planned on watching the Emmys, but I ventured into the den with my newborn, curious whether the show would be funny and/or entertaining. Well, Dylan and I were an hour early, so we watched “60 Minutes” which had a very interesting segment on conversations taped by LBJ when he was in the Oval Office. When Emmy time arrived Michael was home, so we kept switching between the Emmys and the World Series until 9 p.m. when he went into the bedroom to watch the final episode of “Band of Brothers.” When he returned later something on the Emmy show caught his interest, because he stopped flipping to the World Series and actually missed the winning run.
   Though I never saw Ellen DeGeneres’ television show, I loved her HBO special and laughed throughout her opening Emmy monologue. The line of the evening, hands down, was “I’m in a unique position as host because, think about it, what would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?” Her delivery, as always, was perfect, and she got a loud hoot from the crowd. The end of the show was just as captivating, with a surprise singing appearance by Barbra Streisand.
   I don’t watch a lot of television, but I like my few shows. I’ve been a Sopranos fan since the first episode, and was glad to see James Gandolfini and Edie Falco walk off with Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress In A Drama Series, Gandolfini for the second year in a row. I didn’t see Judy Davis as Judy Garland, unfortunately, but she’s excellent in everything, so I’m sure she deserved her award. I’ve only seen “Everybody Loves Raymond” once or twice, but I think both Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts are superb. Sometimes you just kind of know if someone should win, even if you missed their performance.
   Now and then, however, I don’t understand how certain winners win. I’m a big “Will & Grace” fan and have often said Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) are, well, the weakest links in the show. They’ve improved since the beginning, but they are no match for the supporting cast that makes the show hysterically funny at times. Last year Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes each won in their category – Outstanding Supporting Actor/Actress In A Comedy Series. These two carry “Will & Grace” completely. Completely. Without them there would be no show. How Eric McCormack won over Kelsey Grammer and John Lithgow is absolutely beyond me.
   I’ve slowly become a fan of “The West Wing” because it is one of my husband’s favorite shows. I don’t get why Rob Lowe was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor instead of Outstanding Supporting Actor anymore than I understand why the fantastic Lorraine Bracco was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actress instead of Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role on “The Sopranos.” I think both would stand a more realistic chance of winning in the supporting categories.
   The intense security that even the biggest celebrities in the nation were subjected to is a sign of the times, but I doubt television stars are big on terrorists’ hit lists. I also don’t think Tyne Daly or Dennis Franz are the kind of people who need to be checked for incendiary devices. The 2001 Emmy Awards, without the usual glitz and glamour, are finally behind us. Hopefully by next year’s awards life will have somewhat returned to normal and it will once again be in good taste to make fun of badly-dressed celebrities.