Editorial
This year’s Emmy Awards brought happiness, disappointment and--no surprise--politics. The winners of the evening did not shy away from making their opinions known in regards to the current administration, the election, diversity and more, a common trend in today’s award show etiquette. The Behrend Beacon editorial staff has mixed opinions on whether or not using an award show to talk about politics is appropriate, but the general consensus is that, although it is noble to promote causes that the award winners feel strongly about, award shows should focus more about the art and the happiness of winning awards.
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The Emmys stage, like any large show during awards season, is an opportunistic place to discuss what award winners believe in and to gain support for those causes. These people have worked hard to get where they are, so they have earned the right to use this stage to voice any concerns they please. As television and film has become more diverse, the different opinions that are shared reflect this diverse background. The intentions of these people are good, but the execution or moment are not always appropriate.
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The host, Stephen Colbert, addressed Trump directly, saying, “Hello, sir. Thank you for joining us. Looking forward to the tweets.” Throughout the night, Colbert continuously jabbed the president to a degree that the majority of the editorial staff thought was exhausted and overdone. Other targets of Colbert’s attacks were Senator Ted Cruz and Bill Maher.
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The editorial staff sees certain situations in which discussing politics is appropriate. This may include if the show they won an award for is politically related, such as John Lithgow, who won an award for his acting on “The Crown,” thanking Winston Churchill in his acceptance speech. Because Lithgow won his Emmy because of his performance as Churchill, it reasonable for Lithgow to acknowledge a political figure. Additionally, in the wake of Lena Waithe’s monumental win for “Master of None,” as the first African American woman to win an Emmy for Comedy Writing, Waithe’s emotional acceptance speech that also recognized her place in the LGBTQIA community was fitting for the moment.
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People who are tuning in to watch the Emmys and other award shows are generally doing so to appreciate the art, see their favorite celebrities and marvel at the outfits of those in attendance. The majority of the editorial staff felt that those who wish to hear about politics can turn on any number of stations--or turn to social media--and can delve into politics at any time.
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Although the staff has mixed feelings about the use of award show acceptance speeches being used for politics, they agree that celebrities speaking about politics in general is acceptable. Considering the President of the U.S. is a celebrity and used that status to gain votes. Therefore, celebrities being bashed for using their platforms to spread awareness is hypocritical.
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That being said, in an environment like the Emmys--an award show dedicated to celebrating the finest in television--the majority of the editorial staff felt that using their brief time to accept their reward as an opportunity to voice political stance rather than thanking their supporters and loved ones was not appropriate.
