2013 Daytime Emmys
http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/40th-daytime-emmys/
Soap Operas have been around for over 75 years, stemming from Guiding Light on the radio, then to broadcast television, now it's online. Soaps are a great linking chain between the real world and the entertainment world for aspiring actors, writers, or tech nerds. It's the place where a lot of people can call home, including my favorite actress, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who won a Daytime Emmy for her role on All My Children. Daytime dramas are certainly where my home is. It's where I began my interest in twisty story lines, adrenaline pumping drama, and the human condition. Maybe my Kindergarten-starting-Soap-Career is the explanation of being the biggest diva and drama queen in my small town.
The Daytime Emmys were also a great portal for me to learn the ropes of an award show without being plunged into the Oscars's award season blindsided. Since that time, I had a fall out with my first soap, Days of our Lives; my favorite, Guiding Light, was axed; Bold and the Beautiful bored me with the stroylines on the "repeat" button; and, The Young and the Restless, invited a new head writer, which altered the show's quality significantly. Having been focused on the film industry, I had abandoned Soap life until the news of Michelle Stafford's exit from The Young and the Restless was announced and I decided to rejoin the Soap world for the duration of Phyllis Newman's time in town.
This met getting to live the Daytime Emmys one last time. It just so happened to be the 40th award show this year. Throughout the entire broadcast I kept getting this yucky feeling in my stomach that I've missed so much here and my nostalgia for better times overpowered my being. I watch The Talk daily, and I did watch The Young and the Restless until November of last year so I wasn't out of the loop completely. Being back with all these wonderful people reminds me that Daytime Soaps feel like your family after a while and this was my going away party.
It's obvious that Daytime TV isn't given the prestige or recognition it deserves for their long days of hardworking folks producing an episode every single day. The budget of this award show is clearly seen through the crusty camerawork, poor lighting, and lack of quality in hosts. But it does the best it can inventing new things to spice the ceremony up, the highlight being the couch on the side of the stage where you get up, close, and personal with the winners immediently after their acceptance speeches. Rarely do you get to see such bewilderedness from your favorite stars.
Though The Talk went home empty handed tonight and didn't even receive nomination in the Host category, it was a pleasure to see my ladies present an award which resulted in an envelope malfunction, covered graciously by my girl, Aisha Tyler. "There better be a cocktail at my table when I get back." God love her. I've actually communicated with 3/5 of the hosts of The Talk on Twitter before. But I can't even begin to brag about the hosts of The Talk tweets, without mentioning my good friend, Melody Thomas Scott. Yes, that's right...good friends. She and I became good friends over our Twitter accounts, ranging so far as for her helping me through a dark time in my life via private messaging. Mel had a great appearance tonight and made me giggle with Nikki Newman's full name. 12 last names...PHEW. Not only is she an incredible actress and entertainer, she proved to me that not all celebrities are shallow and rude. She's a fantastic friend and a wonderful woman.
I would LOVE to congratulate a few winners, the first being Doug Davidson for Young and the Restless. He was given a fantastic storyline, and he played it astoundingly bring it each day with some of the most vulnerable male acting I've ever seen period. I love when winners thank the viewers, as Doug did, calling us "family" to him. Whenever celebrities ignore the fans, it angers me because they need never forget WE MADE THEM WHO THEY ARE. In the Best Supporting Actor category, there was a tie between Billy Miller and Scott Clifton, both respectable actors. Billy Miller is the best supporting actor in Daytime history as long as I've ben around, so satisfying to see someone so deserving be honored. And the biggest surprise of the night was Days of our Lives winning best drama series. Though, it passed its expiration date with me in 2010 after 7 long years together, I'm thrilled that it won and really made me remember the fabulous Salem Stalker storyline.
Before I start, let me get something straight: I used to be a die-hard fan of Bold and the Beautiful. I ended my affair after growing frustrated and bored with the writing feeling like the recycled plots were put on repeat. But somehow, B&B stomps the heck out of everyone at the Daytime Emmys, sweeping HUGE prizes for the past 4 years. Some deserved, some I was just happy it won because I watched at the time. The one person who should've been nominated every year, Katherine Kelly Lang, was snubbed completely until this year after bowing out of her heroine status and entering the supporting race. I thought for sure, considering the love B&B, she'd win. How can they not give it to Lang after everything she's done for the show? Oh well.
After finally giving up on it, I now see how frustrating the sweeps have been especially considering The Young and the Restless hit an all-time peak last August-September. Every single storyline was written to perfection, the enchanted acting absolutely perfection from every single actor, the directing brought intensity, melodrama, and laughs are rolled it into one monster, perfect show. It was such a shame that it was so unfairly treated with nominations and number one prizes. There could've (and should've) been at least 5 more actors nominated for the brilliant work tonight. It saddens me that the show I thought of all day, anticipating, running home to was robbed.
Which brings me to my biggest beef of the night. Back in 2011, Michelle Stafford gave the performance of a lifetime as Phyllis Newman. I remember watching her, jaw-dropped, breathless because her acting moved me in such a way. Stafford excellently portrayed Phyllis's struggle to keep her head from above water in her marriage to Nick. I thought for sure Stafford would run away with the trophy, which surprisingly went to Laura Wright that night. A world of disappointment for this kid. Watching her performance this past year with dramatic story lines that developed over two decades allowed Stafford to hit another Phyllis year out the park. Stafford is overdue for her 3rd win, combined with the devastating news of her exit from the show, I thought they may reward her tonight. Or Susan Flannery who won rave reviews for bringing the final moments of her cancer infected, legendary character on B&B. Or DAYS Mogul, Peggy McKay as longtime Caroline.
NOPE, went to Heather Tom for Bold and the Beautiful for her fifth win, after just winning last year. Tom has now won in all female acting categories at the Daytime Emmys, which is highly impressive, but this win is unfair. Four was enough. This fascination with Heather Tom and Bold and the Beautiful by the Daytime Emmy voters is outrageous and clearly visible to the public. I never liked Heather Tom. She acted some scenes nicely, but I found her to be overdramatic and whenever you receive that note in a SOAP OPERA, you know you're going too far, or you're line readings are awkward, or just plain and simple that something's wrong. I never thought she was pretty either, I can't understand the obsession. It's unjust to Stafford, Flannery, and McKay, though. Tom will sadly go down in history now, she's still pretty young to which means more Emmys are destined for her future.
Though Heather Tom's fifth win is outrageous, it was still a decent night at the Daytime Emmys. The homages to Jeanne Cooper were fitting, nicely touched upon, and hilarious...the first time I've ever heard the "F" word on broadcast TV....Only for you Katherine...Only for you. I want to congratulate Michelle Stafford, Katherine Kelly Lang, the hosts of The Talk, the cast, crew, and the show itself of The Young and the Restless...you are all winners in my eyes! You rock! You're the reason I keep coming back!
When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.