The Emmy Awards took place Monday night. While there was certainly a fair share of attendees who wanted audiences to know they supported the ACLU, wanted folks to vote, and one who even wrote “Stop Kavanaugh” on her arm, it appears the rich and famous may have dialed back some of their usual over-the-top political rhetoric. Even as their ratings plunged to an all-time low, did they do so too late?
The average American who loves TV (to the tune of five hours per day) is tired of watching their favorite television stars wax eloquent about what viewers should do about their country, its policies, and politics.
Not everyone agrees with this. Most people in the media don’t. In a piece at The Atlantic aptly titled, “The Emmys Should Be Political,” Sophie Gilbert writes:
Despite its title, I don’t think this piece is actually about the Emmys getting “political,” it’s about Hollywood confronting its own demons, which is not as much political as it is an age-old narrative about what people do when they have power and unfettered access to people whom they believe are beneath them. This is wise and will hopefully bear fruit. I’m not referring to the politics of the #MeToo movement, if there are any.
I’m referring to the blatant speeches, pins, and other ways Hollywood shows up at award events to honor themselves. They pat themselves on the back and then tell the Americans who watch their shows how to vote, what to think about certain policies, and which presidents to like or dislike. Sure, because they live in America they can enjoy freedom of speech — it’s their constitutional right — I just don’t think viewers should feel compelled to listen or watch and be lectured on politics.
This year’s Emmys wasn’t as bad as other awards shows. Edie Falco, Padma Lakshmi, and Evan Rachel Wood wore blue ribbons to support the ACLU. Several attendees wore an “I am a Voter” pin, and actress Rachel Brosnahan mentioned the importance of voting in her acceptance speech, without wading into who or what people should vote for.
[Also read: Emmy host jokes: White people at awards who thank Jesus are ‘Republicans and ex-crackheads’]
Rachel Brosnahan uses her acceptance speech to urge people to vote: “One of the most important ways to find and use your voice is to vote.” #Emmys (via THR) pic.twitter.com/xFbHoLZQrO
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 18, 2018
#Emmys GLOW director Jesse Peretz and his wife Sarah who has quite the arm accessory this year. pic.twitter.com/BSDPyjvTCa
— Cynthia Littleton (@Variety_Cynthia) September 17, 2018
Still, nobody shouted “F*** you, Trump,” so maybe that’s progress? It’s one thing to weave a political message into art — artists have been doing this for hundreds of years (Hello, War and Peace). But it’s quite another to use the platform of art and the fame and spotlight that television garners to voice personal opinions about politics.
Are actors’ opinions somehow more important than a plumber’s or a professor’s? Are they any more articulate or well-versed on policies? Of course not. Yet because people need to be entertained (and often, numbed) and Hollywood is the drug that satiates these needs, actors and actresses feel compelled to voice their political views as if they are more important, informed, or valid because of their profession.
This is not only untrue, but it looks like this year, according to ratings, the people figured that out and got sick of it too — just in time for the Emmys to dial back.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
