The 69th Emmy Award show was hosted by CBS Late Night host Steven Colbert. It was Colbert’s first go at hosting the Emmy’s and the reviews were grouped into two different camps. Not surprisingly in 2017, those camps were divided among political lines. Some of the liberal leaning reviewers were kind to Colbert, giving him a C+ and higher. Conservative reviewers generally bashed the show overall, and Colbert was the focal point. With a show that made the current commander-in-chief virtually everyone’s political piñata, it was hard to tell if it was a television awards show or a political rally. Colbert’s take on the many political references was,
“We know the biggest TV star of the past year was Donald Trump.”
But none of this actually addresses how Colbert did as a host. He opened with a song and dance number, pulling out material from one of his old The Colbert Report shows when he was with Comedy Central. The shtick, when he went after MTV for pulling Daft Punk from his show, was one of The Colbert Report’s most popular Internet videos. The part where he was dancing in a Vegas-style lineup found its way to this year’s Emmy show. As a late night host, Colbert’s ratings had been sinking until the focus of his monologue shifted to the politics of President Trump. So it only made sense he would combine the old with the new to find a safe zone in front of his audience.
After the song and dance, his entire monologue was a sometimes humorous, sometimes not, array of jokes that continued his late night routine. As they say, give the audience what they want. And it worked for the most part. His shorter stints during the show did not evoke as much laughter, as he often fell back on the tried and true, only mildly getting laughter from the crowd.
The clear political slant to the show can either be attributed to a decision by the sponsors of the Emmy’s or the mood of the audience. It is clear that, like previous Hollywood award shows since the election, it was the award winners themselves who came prepared to make a political statement once they were on stage. The question then is whether Colbert was cornered into shaping his monologue or whether he was another comedian who took advantage of his position to make a living from Trump. Unless we can definitely say Colbert’s performance was one of design or opportunity, it seems unfair to objectively assess his hosting of the show.
Early ratings returns have the show at 2.8, which conservatives claim is the lowest rated show in Emmy history. But we have to wait on the Live+3 ratings to have a better idea. Whether looking at the show from a conservative or liberal viewpoint, the show’s producers need to realize Americans are growing weary of the daily political scuffles. They may just want a show that lets the award winners talk about their show and the people that brought us creative entertainment. As for Colbert, it might be best to withhold judgment and give him another shot.
Follow Us
