NationStates Jolt Archive

Sunday evening the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented the Primetime Emmy Awards. Now, awards shows often run long, so to prevent this, NBC had beloved TV star Bob Newhart sealed in a case enclosure with exactly three hours of air. The show ended three minutes early.

Should this become a standard for all award shows?

Some history:

The first Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949 at the Hollywood Athletic Club. The name "Emmy" was a feminization of "immy", a nickname used for the image orthicon tubes that were common in early television cameras. Shirley Dinsdale has the distinction of receiving the very first Emmy in the first awards ceremony. The Emmy Awards trophies are currently made by a private company with a manufacturing site at the maximum security El Dorado Correctional Facility, in El Dorado, Kansas.

The statuette of a winged woman holding an atom has since become the symbol of the TV Academy's goal of supporting and uplifting the art and science of television: The wings represent the muse of art; the atom the electron of science. It was created by television engineer Louis McManus, using his wife as a model.

And how do I edit a poll option?

Do people actually watch award shows?

Do people actually watch award shows?

Sure, they can be great fun. I like seeing what gorgeous and not-so-gorgeous dresses are worn, and sometimes the MC is quite funny (Billy Crystal was great when he hosted the Academy Awards some years back, and Conan O'Brien was pretty funny last night). And I cooked dinner during the show and we ate it and cleaned up afterwards, so ...

Sure, they can be great fun. I like seeing what gorgeous and not-so-gorgeous dresses are worn, and sometimes the MC is quite funny (Billy Crystal was great when he hosted the Academy Awards some years back, and Conan O'Brien was pretty funny last night). And I cooked dinner during the show and we ate it and cleaned up afterwards, so ...

Award shows strike me as simply a bunch of celebrities patting each other on the back. Since I don't care the slightest bit what a celebrity does when they're not on a movie screen award shows don't appeal to me.

I also quit watching TV about six years ago, so that should tell you a bit about my opinion of it.

Are you nuts? I enjoy watching the award shows. The only problem is that they are always in the evening (which means they are on here between midnight and sunrise...).

Other than that, how would you shorten them? Just yell out the category and immediately announce who's won.

"Keep this up and we'll be done in less than 30 minutes for all 80 categories!" :confused:

By the way, the last Academy Awards hosted by Jon Stewart were great!

If you're into what's being awarded there is a little more interest in the award show. I never watch the Grammys because I don't listen to the radio and don't know most of the people being awarded. I don't care, there are plenty of options for me that allow me to not even know when that show happens.

I don't have to bitch about its existance, it doesn't matter. I barely notice its coming and going.

I don't watch the Emmys because most of the shows I don't watch. I check later to see if the shows I do watch won anything, because they are shows I like and it's cool if they get recognition. It can make me all pissed off when they win Emmys and then get canceled in lue of shows like The War at Home.

If movies I liked are part of the nominees for the Oscars, I'll watch. If not, I tend not to. Just like anything else, you have to have something to interest you.

But every industry, just about, gives out awards of one kind or another. Television, film, and music people do thier job in the public eye so they give thier awards out in the public eye. But no one is forcing anyone to care.

They can cut down on drag time in the shows by shortening or eleminating the forced banter between mismatched presenters. It's hardly ever funny.

Noooo, I love award shows! Well, movie (and sometimes TV) only, I can do without the Grammies and stuff, because this is true: If you're into what's being awarded there is a little more interest in the award show.

As is this: They can cut down on drag time in the shows by shortening or eleminating the forced banter between mismatched presenters. It's hardly ever funny. That's the part I *really* hate, yet it's the only part that never seems to get the cut. Instead the orchestra has to play off people who actually have something to say. :rolleyes:

But still, I love award shows. I always stay up all night (until about 6am) for the Oscars. I can't help it. It's superficial and silly, but it's irresistible. A total guilty pleasure. And a bit like cotton candy. In pink. :)

Noooo, I love award shows! Well, movie (and sometimes TV) only, I can do without the Grammies and stuff, because this is true:

As is this: That's the part I *really* hate, yet it's the only part that never seems to get the cut. Instead the orchestra has to play off people who actually have something. :rolleyes:

But still, I love award shows. I always stay up all night (until about 6am) for the Oscars. I can't help it. It's superficial and silly, but it's irresistible. A total guilty pleasure. And a bit like cotton candy. In pink. :)

Was it last year, or two years ago where they gave out awards for Best Short and things like that in the aisles? I mean I know they're 'lesser' awards (but increasingly the ones I'm more interested in) but do they really need to hammer that home?

Was it last year, or two years ago where they gave out awards for Best Short and things like that in the aisles? I mean I know they're 'lesser' awards (but increasingly the ones I'm more interested in) but do they really need to hammer that home?

I think it was last year, yeah. Does seem a bit snooty, though I have to admit it made for a change of pace. Maybe soon we'll have all the nominees in a big roped-off area and the presenters will throw the awards to them.

Maybe soon we'll have all the nominees in a big roped-off area and the presenters will throw the awards to them. Heee. :p

And yeah, that was last year - they luckily got rid of that again this year. Stupid people. *I* could have told them that was a bad idea. :rolleyes:
(Of course then this year they instead played everybody off after like 30 seconds - which kills me when it's like the moment the second guy of the two winners for sound editing or something steps up to the microphone to (presumably) thank his wife and parents and whomever. I mean, come on! How often is he going to win a fucking Oscar? Give the guy ten fucking seconds, is that too much to ask? Go and cut a couple or ten of those pointless montages ("Political Movies"? "Musicals"? Seriously?) that leave everybody bored to tears. I can go to the bathroom during commercials, thankyouverymuch.

Heee. :p

And yeah, that was last year - they luckily got rid of that again this year. Stupid people. *I* could have told them that was a bad idea. :rolleyes:
(Of course then this year they instead played everybody off after like 30 seconds - which kills me when it's like the moment the second guy of the two winners for sound editing or something steps up to the microphone to (presumably) thank his wife and parents and whomever. I mean, come on! How often is he going to win a fucking Oscar? Give the guy ten fucking seconds, is that too much to ask? Go and cut a couple or ten of those pointless montages ("Political Movies"? "Musicals"? Seriously?) that leave everybody bored to tears. I can go to the bathroom during commercials, thankyouverymuch.
Hell yes, three less montages with no actual award attached and a couple more seconds for the people that make movies look and sound good that don't get all that pamper and fawning as the stars. Viva la Crew!!!

Hmm. Maybe thats bias...

Do people actually watch award shows?

I dont. I cant stand to see whores patting each other on the back and dropping names, and hearing the endless chatter about what they are wearing.

You wann a impress me? Skip the meaningless award and donate the thousands of dollars the ugly tux or gown & jewels would have cost to the homeless.

I loved the past oscars... where they were told to keep it short, else a trap door opens behing the mic, dropping the speaker down and out. If I had won (yeah right!) I would've rambled on just to go out that way. :D

I dont. I cant stand to see whores patting each other on the back and dropping names, and hearing the endless chatter about what they are wearing.

You wann a impress me? Skip the meaningless award and donate the thousands of dollars the ugly tux or gown & jewels would have cost to the homeless.
well, after the AMA award show, a whole lot of musical artists skipped their parties to go to a recording studio, late at night, without getting paid a dime, and they recorded some tracks for a song that helped raised about 50 million to feed the starving.

the name of that song?

"We are the World."

i was glad to see bob newhart last night. he has lost none of his brilliant comic timing.

he had a great comic LP 40some years ago that is as funny today as it was back then. well worth searching it out even if it means asking your grandparents if they have it in the attic.

I reckon award shows are the most boring things on TV. Particularly, as CTOAN said, the forced banter between the presenters. I'm always surprised that people actually watch them.

And, who is Bob Newhart?

I reckon award shows are the most boring things on TV. Particularly, as CTOAN said, the forced banter between the presenters. I'm always surprised that people actually watch them.

And, who is Bob Newhart?
Oh no! Australia was robbed to not know the coolness of Bob. He's a soft spoken comic whose famous bit was one side of a phone conversation that is ludicris. He stared in The Bob Newhart Show as a psychiatrist with an airline pilot and dentist as a friend. Then Newhart as the host of a New England morning or weekend show, can't remember. Then Bob, as a cartoonist (later, lamely changed to greeting card artist.) He's vanilla, but cool.

Hell yes, three less montages with no actual award attached and a couple more seconds for the people that make movies look and sound good that don't get all that pamper and fawning as the stars. Viva la Crew!!!

Hmm. Maybe thats bias...


I just want to know what a "GAFFER" is.....

Ugh...

Rather than go into a multi-paragraph rant on how stupid awards shows are, I'll just agree with everything Wallonochia said and move on.

I just want to know what a "GAFFER" is.....

A gaffer is head of the grip/electric crew and he designs the lighting for the shot under the direction of the director of photography. Under him is the Best Boy, who he gives the design to, and then the Key Grip, who cuts the lights, the grips who move in the equipment and stands, and the electrics who mount the lights and run the power. The grips are also in charge of making the set ups safe, so that if a gobo arm is sticking out they put a tennis ball on it so it doesn't poke anyone and they'll sandbag all the stands.

A gaffer is head of the grip/electric crew and he designs the lighting for the shot under the direction of the director of photography. Under him is the Best Boy, who he gives the design to, and then the Key Grip, who cuts the lights, the grips who move in the equipment and stands, and the electrics who mount the lights and run the power. The grips are also in charge of making the set ups safe, so that if a gobo arm is sticking out they put a tennis ball on it so it doesn't poke anyone and they'll sandbag all the stands.

The funny thing is, I understood all that.

So as the head of the electric crew, or in a senior postion, is why they call him a "Gaffer"?

Like a fatherly old man?

The funny thing is, I understood all that.

So as the head of the electric crew, or in a senior postion, is why they call him a "Gaffer"?

Like a fatherly old man?

That I don't know. And I've asked a few gaffers (I've worked as a grip, I'm even on IMDb [/backpatting]) and none of them seem to know either. I'm sure either of us could find a story on the internet for it. It's probably stupid. The truck that has the producer/2nd Assistant/production offices in it is called 'The Honey Wagon" because that's where the producers would go with their honeys, the last take of the day is called the "martini" because that's exactly what would happen, everyone would start drinking. A lot of the names have stupid origins like that.