If we learned anything from Sunday's 76th Emmy Awards, it's this: Shingles doesn't care.
It's pretty weird when actors get interrupted by a TV vaccination ad meme when doling out trophies. But that's show business these days, where social-media gags and political jokes met up with TV's biggest night for the annual Emmys. Well, if we're being technical, it's the second ceremony this year (thanks, 2023 strikes!) so this was a sequel of sorts with a lot of returning stars (the cast of Emmy favorite "The Bear"), a few shocks ("Hacks" for the win) plus some new faces (hello, "Shōgun" crew!).
It was a night of variety. Jelly Roll sang an emotional tune for the "In Memoriam" segment. "Baby Reindeer" creator and star Richard Gadd kept winning and kept giving out life advice. John Oliver cursed out the people trying to play him off while paying tribute to his dog. There was even a Will Smith Oscar joke by a newly minted Emmy-winning writer named, yes, Will Smith, plus lots of hi's to moms, dads and kids at home staying up too late.
Here are the highs and lows from a busy Emmy night:
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Awards shows have had some pretty crummy emcees over the years. But the generational humor and quick wit of comedy legend Eugene Levy and his talented son (and "Schitt's Creek" co-star) Dan Levy were entertaining throughout the evening. "I’m glad to be back by your side," Eugene Levy said to Dan. "My most rewarding dad role ever has been being your dad." He paused. "In 'Schitt’s Creek.' Because it got me my first acting Emmy."
Dad Levy hilariously grumbled about doing a camera bit across the crowd, while his son ribbed him for that one gig he lost out on for "The West Wing." And they even riffed on whether "The Bear" should be in the comedy categories or not: "In the true spirit of 'The Bear,' we will not be making any jokes," Eugene Levy quipped.
"The Bear" came in as a big favorite to clean up in the comedy categories. While Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jeremy Allen White were expected actor wins, the show lost best comedy to "Hacks." Liza Colón-Zayas was a welcome surprise as the first Latina to win the comedy supporting actress category, besting Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett – and getting a standing ovation from Streep. "I revere you to the bottom of my heart," Colón-Zayas told those two legends.
She thanked her "Bear" peeps for "giving me a new life with this show," and ended her speech with a powerful political statement: "To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote. Vote for your rights."
The biggest inspiration for jokes at this year's Emmys wasn't TV shows, it was Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance's comment about the country being run by Democrats who are a "bunch of childless cat ladies." It was a running theme throughout the night, from Selena Gomez – who said her older "Only Murders in the Building" castmates Steve Martin and Martin Short were “this far away from being childless cat ladies" – to presenter Candice Bergen.
The "Murphy Brown" icon playfully reminisced about a 1992 political speech where Dan Quayle attacked Brown's character Murphy for becoming pregnant and deciding to raise a child as a single mom on the show. "Oh, how far we've come," Bergen deadpanned. "Today a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids. So as they say, my work here is done. Meow."
Like that other Emmys show this year, the ceremony brought together special reunions and combos, like a TV villains lineup of Antony Starr, Giancarlo Esposito and Kathy Bates and the mom crew of Meredith Baxter Birney, Connie Britton and Susan Kelechi Watson.
It was a mixed bag at best. But best in show, though? That goes to the dynamic duo of Ron Howard and Henry Winkler, aka Richie Cunningham and the Fonz, for a “Happy Days” throwback. “This is fantastic,” Howard said of the 1950s set, with Winkler adding, “It feels like home.” There was no talk of shark-jumping, but Winkler did channel the Fonz once more to smack a jukebox to get the old “Happy Days” theme playing. “Heyyyy,” he said. “It’s alright.”
This Emmys slate of nominees was one of its most diverse ever, which was music to John Leguizamo's ears. In June, the Latino actor took out a full-page ad in the New York Times urging the TV Academy to nominate a wider breadth of talent, from persons of color to the LGBTQ+ community. He referenced that in a rousing speech to the Emmys crowd about the fact that "we are all DEI hires" – with D for diligence, E for excellence and I for imagination.
"It turns out not complaining doesn’t change anything. So I complained," said Leguizamo, making Selena Gomez tear up when he mentioned all the Latinx talent nominated, including her, Nava Mau ("Baby Reindeer") and Colon-Zayas. He threw in some zingers, too – when mentioning Colon-Zayas, he said "The Bear" was "the charming story of white people who are obsessed with Michelin stars and making kale taste good" – and concluded that "this show tonight is proof that our industry is making progress."
The acclaimed FX historical epic "Shōgun" was predicted to do well, but we couldn't have predicted the wave of feels after watching its Japanese stars tear up at all of the four wins, including best drama. (If you include the earlier Creative Arts Emmys, too, the show nabbed 18 total honors.) Anna Sawai was already tear-drenched when coming up to accept her Emmy for lead actress in a drama. "I was crying before my name was announced. I’m a mess today," said Sawai, dedicating the award to "all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone."
And it was awesome to see Hiroyuki Sanada, a legend of Hong Kong and Asian cinema, humbled and emotional over his win for lead actor. "Shōgun" taught him that "when people work together, we can make (a) miracle. We can create a better future together."
"Only Murders in the Building" co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short were doing a bit when a random voiceover boomed "Shingles doesn't care!" with a weird stamp on the screen a la a popular TV advertisement. The guys just moved on, with Martin comparing Short to "someone who looks like a former women’s tennis champion," but it was inexplicable and weird. Was it because they're old dudes and might have shingles? Doesn't shingles care about Selena Gomez?! Who knows, but anything that might get grandparents asking their kids about a viral meme, or watching "Only Murders" together, might not be too bad.
