Who won and who lost at the Emmy Awards has become secondary to the pomp, circumstance and pop-culture phenomena that arise from the program.
There was an outcry from the family of Jack Klugman that the death of the legendary actor got a passing mention last Sunday while Cory Monteith, a kid who has had about 10 minutes of fame and overdosed on drugs, got a loving tribute. Some think one doesn’t have anything to do with the other but it does because the longer tributes to only five people meant there was no time to properly honour everyone.
It’s not fair to compare one dead star to another, really. For some kids, Monteith will be their James Dean and it’s not for anyone else to dissuade them from that perception. He was a current star and very much in the public eye when he died, young and needlessly. But to overlook a man who had a career as long and successful as Klugman’s is more than short-sighted. It’s damn disrespectful. The Monteith moment was guaranteed to bring in younger viewers and the producers missed an opportunity to educate those watchers about some important TV history. Klugman’s career spanned more than five decades and included lead-actor Emmys for The Defenders in 1961 and The Odd Couple in 1971 and ’73 and he continued into the 80’s and beyond with Quincy MD and guest appearances on other shows. He appeared on Broadway and in dozens of movies. He died last December at age 90.
Ageism is alive and well in the entertainment biz where youth is coveted and a wrinkle is something to hide with shame. In fact, the amazing-looking Raquel Welch was mostly overlooked even though she was better turned out than some of the younger women who got best-dressed honours for wearing what looked like a tablecloth. Welch is 73.
There are societies that revere their elders. We don’t appear to be one of them. But we could at least respect them. After all, don’t we aspire to join their ranks one day?
Call me cynical, but I believe the Monteith tribute was solely to draw in the all-important younger demographic. When you consider that his cause of death was tantamount to suicide, I don’t think that his fans could reasonably have expected that kind of touching tribute (which did include in an important reminder about addiction, albeit to a crowd which probably considers itself immune). However, producers hoped they’d watch to see their favourite so honoured. Like I said, I’m a cynic.
I agree with you though. I know they want younger viewers and they probably got them. But what a wasted opportunity to show them a truly legendary career. Sigh.