It was weird (but not necessarily bad) watching the Oscars without a proper host, but it looks like the Emmy awards might just do the same.
It would be the first time since 2003 that the Emmys will go host-less. With just three months to go and no host in sight, we have to wonder: is this a trend or something much more sinister?
As you may recall, the decision not to have a host for the Academy Awards came after Kevin Hart’s homophobic tweets resurfaced. The risky decision to start with Queen, move on to Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph, than to Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, to name a few among the sea of starts, paid off eventually. People enjoyed the Oscars and the show got great ratings. But it wasn’t intentional.
Given how many superstars have hidden skeletons in their closets, how #MeToo inspired similar movements and how much famous people share on their social media accounts, going host-less is the only safe choice. Most popular Emmy hosts from the past are accused of vicious crimes and hate-speech. To regain some respect and integrity, the most prestigious and worldwide famous award shows, mustn’t upset their viewers.
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards still haven’t made a final decision. So far we know that every year we knew who’s going to host the show at least five months in advance. Choosing not to have a host makes a show a bit more casual, less glamorous, but choosing the wrong one may turn into a disaster.
Just a few days ago the TV Academy had to disqualify members of its Performers Peer Group from voting. They were not named, but the accusations are quite serious. The official statement says: “The Television Academy has disqualified a few members who were engaged in the early stages of a block voting strategy for the first round of Emmy voting. This is a direct violation of our rules of the competition and our member code of conduct. This type of activity will not be tolerated. The Emmy stands for excellence and the integrity of this award is of paramount importance to the television industry. We will continue to be diligent in our efforts to ensure the fairness of this competition. In addition to our own rigorous safeguards, our independent auditors at EY monitor Emmy voting for potential improprieties.”
Block-voting means that the voters discussed ahead of time what their votes would be in at least one category, with the intention of all voting for the same nominee in order to influence the outcome of the awards.
So what will the Emmys look like this year? Do you think the awards will be able to save some integrity? Or we over the awards as such? Tell us!