Largely because last night’s Emmy Awards snubbed HBO’s highly deserving Normal Heart team as well as three formidable Netflix contenders (House of Cards, Derek, Orange Is The New Black), Hollywood Reporter awards analyst Scott Feinberg is persuaded that the “broken” Emmy voting system needs an overhaul. All Academy and Guild voting, of course, is afflicted with the same “deadwood” sentiments, and thus Feinberg and pallies had the feeling last night that the choices of winners indicates that the membership has been asleep at the wheel for the last two or three years.
Key paragraph: “The entire TV Academy membership, which numbers around 16,000, weighs in on Emmy nominations, with actors picking acting nominees, directors picking directing nominees, etc., and everyone weighing in on the program nominees. But, post-nominations, a variety of smaller panels of volunteers, each comprised of just a few dozen members, pick the winners. This is the exact opposite of the way the motion picture Academy goes about its business, and perhaps it is part of the problem.”
All I know is that I imperceptibly slumped in my seat when Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul won for Best Supporting Actor. I thought he seriously overplayed the weeping and the consternation during that last scene with Mr. White in the final episode.