A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
National Coming Out Day is an observed civil awareness day recognized annually on October 11. This day celebrates individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender – coming out regarding their sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #NationalComingOutDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
National Coming Out Day was founded in 1988 by New Mexico Psychologist and founder of the personal growth workshop, The Experience, Robert Eichberg and Jean O’ Leary, an openly gay political leader from Los Angeles and then head of the National Gay Rights Advocates. October 11 was chosen as it was the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
"When I came out, the ceiling didn't crash in — I was able to stand taller and be more ... transparent about who I was," the actor told the co-hosts. "I didn't have to be so guarded. And in turn, I think that allows your light to shine a little bit brighter." ... "Some people... know who they are at a very, very early age —- and some people are married with kids and are still struggling with it," Harris said. "There's religious reasons, there's political reasons, there's familial reasons." ... "If you're gay and you need to tell people, we live in a time now where there's a lot more examples of representation of [gay] people -— whether on film or whether in real life, whether in your family, who are gay and leading a super regular, upstanding life," Harris said.
I'll be posting later today on some of those examples of representation at the Emmy Awards. Stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, I'm going to respond to Harris mentioning in passing "you don't get to go to the scary Christmas house" as part of his explaining why he loves Halloween as well as his love of Disney by pointing out that he can combine both by visiting a scary Christmas house at Disneyland. Watch The History of & Changes to The Haunted Mansion Holiday | Disneyland.
What better way to kick off our inaugural month of "Spooktober" than with a video I started working on almost a year ago?! In this video, I and the INFAMOUS Disney Dan will be going over the history and changes to Disneyland's seasonal overlay for the Haunted Mansion.
If I were still living in Southern California, I would be going to Disneyland to visit that version of the Haunted Mansion. It looks like fun. I hope Harris and his family rides it, too, just so he can say they got to go to the scary Christmas house.
I congratulated Alex Borstein for winning Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, then promised "I'll congratulate her a second time when I write about (most) of the comedy winners tomorrow." It's tomorrow, so it's time to follow through by reviewing "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which won eight Emmy Awards, tied with 'Saturday Night Live' wins eight Emmy Awards for second behind "Game of Thrones."
I begin with an award "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won before the Emmys, the Peabody Award, which explains the show's significance.
Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) is a charming and supportive housewife and mother in 1958 New York City, until her aspiring comedian husband leaves her and she drunkenly grabs the mic only to find herself to be the true comic talent. Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino’s script dances and floats with witty banter, Brosnahan proves herself every bit as charismatic and engaging as her character, and their talents come together most electrically in Midge’s marvelous monologues. But the world around them similarly delights, with a lush visual palette and superb supporting performances from Tony Shalhoub, Marin Hinkle, and Alex Borstein in particular, as Midge’s parents and manager, respectively. Beyond the play-within-the-play of Midge and kindred spirit Lenny Bruce running afoul of New York decency laws in their stand-up comedy acts is a much deeper commentary on the “place” of women in public spaces, Jewishness, familial relations, classed expectations, and the importance of not being “ripped right out of a catalogue” that is both impressively weighty and effortlessly light. The show also features a winning soundtrack that paces the action as deftly as Sherman-Palladino’s crisp dialogue. For bringing together the period drama and the feminist comedy and producing a magical mixture, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” wins a Peabody Award.
Other than Midge being arrested and hauled into court, there is very little politics and government in this show, but it has wonderful social commentary, which is why I'm writing about it.
Atlanta (FX) Barry (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) GLOW (Netflix) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) Silicon Valley (HBO) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
There are no speculative fiction nominees here, not even "Big Bang Theory," so I'll go directly to diversity. The nominees that most directly address diversity are "Atlanta" and "Black-ish." The first has the better chance of winning an Emmy, but the second is more explictly political. "GLOW" also has a diverse cast and deals with depictions of race in the 1980s in addition to issues of women on the fringe of Hollywood. However, I don't think any of them will win. Instead, as I wrote in 'Saturday Night Live' leads Outstanding Variety Sketch Series nominations, again, "'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'...should win for Outstanding Comedy Series." It's a very well done, funny, and insightful show and it's about entertainment, albeit stand-up in New York City during the 1950s, not Hollywood, but all that should be enough for victory.
Anthony Anderson as Andre "Dre" Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (Episode: "Advance to Go (Collect $200)") (ABC) Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (Episode: "Dance Dance Resolution") (NBC) Larry David as Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm (Episode: "Fatwa!") (HBO) Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks / Teddy Perkins on Atlanta (Episode: "Teddy Perkins") (FX) Bill Hader as Barry Berkman / Barry Block on Barry (Episode: "Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going") (HBO) William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Episode: "Sleepwalking") (Showtime)
Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox on Better Things (Episode: "Eulogy") (FX) Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Thank You and Good Night") (Amazon) Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (Episode: "Phone Confetti and a Wee Dingle") (CBS) Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (Episode: "Hella Great") (HBO) Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow "Bow" Johnson on Black-ish (Episode: "Elder. Scam.") (ABC) Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Episode: "The Home") (Netflix)
Issa Rae from "Insecure" and Tracee Ellis Ross from "Black-ish" are the nominees increasing the diversity of the field, but I'm sure that Rachel Brosnahan as the title character of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will win.
Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets on Baskets (Episode: "Thanksgiving") (FX) Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC) Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Episode: "Kimmy and the Beest!") (Netflix) Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Atlanta (Episode: "Woods") (FX) Tony Shalhoub as Abraham "Abe" Weissman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Thank You and Good Night") (Amazon) Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: John Mulaney") (NBC) Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau on Barry (Episode: "Chapter Four: Commit ... to YOU") (HBO)
Alec Baldwin won last year for his Donald Trump impressions on SNL, so I wouldn't be surprised if he wins again, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Tony Shalhoub upsets him for his role as the father in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." That show should win for Outstanding Comedy Series and its star Rachel Brosnahan should win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, so Shalhoub might get caught up with them.
African-Americans are even better represented in this category than in the Lead Actor category with Tituss Burgess from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," Brian Tyree Henry from "Atlanta," and Kenan Thompson from SNL. Out of all of them, I suspect, Thompson has the best shot at beating Baldwin or fending off Shalhoub.
Nope, the one name I didn't mention was the one who won, Henry Winkler.
Henry Winkler thanks his friends and family after winning Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his performance in Barry
!Congratulations to The Fonz!
Now for the reason I am writing this blog entry today, Alex Bornstein winning her second Emmy of the season, which I called.
Zazie Beetz as Vanessa "Van" Keefer on Atlanta (Episode: "Helen") (FX) Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "Doink") (Amazon) Aidy Bryant as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Chadwick Boseman") (NBC) Betty Gilpin as Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan on GLOW (Episode: "Debbie Does Something") (Netflix) Leslie Jones as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Donald Glover") (NBC) Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Bill Hader") (NBC) Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris on Roseanne (Episode: "No Country for Old Women") (ABC) Megan Mullally as Karen Walker on Will & Grace (Episode: "Rosario's Quinceanera") (NBC)
Once again, the returning winner is from SNL, Kate McKinnon. It's likely that she will earn a three-peat, but I also think it's as likely that Alex Borstein from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will take the trophy home as well with an outside chance that Betty Gilpin of "GLOW" will upset both. Nothing like a good story about show business to get Hollywood professionals to vote for you and both "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "GLOW" are about show business.
I was impressed with Zazie Beetz as Domino in "Deadpool 2" and always enjoy Leslie Jones in SNL, so I'm glad to see both of them nominated.
I already know how I'm going to celebrate it next year -- with a clip of Spongebob Squarepants. I'd post it today, but I'm an environmentalist. I conserve my resources.
On a more serious note, here is the holiday's description from National Day Calendar.
National Leif Erickson Day is observed annually on October 9th. The day honors Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. Leif Erikson left the European continent in 999 and set foot in America in the year 1,000.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #LeifEriksonDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
In 1925, at the Norse-American Centennial, President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the discoverer of America due to research by Norwegian-American scholars such as Knut Geirset and Ludvig-Hektoen.
United States Representative John Blatnik from Duluth introduced a bill in 1963 to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. On September 2, 1964, the United States Congress passed Joint Resolution 88-566authorizing the President to proclaim October 9 as Leif Erikson Day. President Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. In the proclamations, the Presidents have praised the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery.
Some states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day in addition to the federal observance, particularly in the Upper Midwest where there are large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled.
On October 9, 1825, a sloop named...Restauration, with 52 Norwegian Quakers on board, landed in New York Harbor beginning what would become the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States. In commemoration of their journey and their exploring ancestor, Congress selected October 9 for National Leif Erickson Day.
Since I'm celebrating a holiday made famous by an animated character and am in the middle of writing about the winners of the Emmy Awards, follow over the jump for the winners of the animation and children's programming categories at Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Four years ago, I wrote that I would celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving instead of Columbus Day. Forthreeyears after that, I ignored Columbus Day and celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving instead, adding in Leif Erikson Day and Native American Day last year. So why am I bothering to break the streak and even mention Columbus Day today? Because Vox uploaded a video that both explains Vox explains why the US celebrates Columbus Day as well as giving the reasons why I no longer do, that's why.
Should Columbus Day be Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
...
In past decades, Christopher Columbus has gone from unquestioned US hero to problematic figure. For centuries, the destruction and disease he ushered into the Americas have been set aside, allowing the myth of a pioneering sailor who discovered America and proved the world was round to embed itself in US culture. But as this myth has been increasingly confronted with brutal historical facts, things have started to change.
While Columbus still has a national holiday in his honor, complete with parades and celebrations, there are many people fighting to dismantle the myth that surrounds him and choosing to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead.
Watch this video to understand how Columbus became a US icon over time and why his status is in question today.
That's about as good a video history of the day as I've found. For a shorter version of why I don't celebrate, see this following e-card.
Now for the holiday I actually do observe, Canadian Thanksgiving. Sabrina Cruz posted an entertaining and informative video explaining why Canadians get their own Thanksgiving last year, which is exactly the kind of video I was looking for four years ago but couldn't find.
Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend and I figured it's time to finally answer: what's the difference between American and Canadian Thanksgiving?
So in this episode of Cool History, we explore origins of Canadian Thanksgiving and just how Turkey Day differs from its American counterparts (plot twist: it's not much).
Looks like the idea for the holiday appeared in Canada before it did in the U.S. Didn't know that before.
The Vox video mentioned Native American Day, so I conclude this celebration of holidays by being a good environmentalist and recycling what I wrote last year.
Native American Day is observed annually on the second Monday in October. While it is not celebrated in all 50 states, it is recognized in both California and South Dakota while gaining popularity in the rest of the nation.
Native American Day is a day to celebrate the cultures and contributions made to our country by the various Native American tribes.
In other parts of the country, Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations occur on this day. Events such as traditional dances, art displays and ceremonies have begun to replace Columbus Day practices.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #NativeAmericanDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
The South Dakota legislature unanimously passed legislation proposed by Governor George S. Mickelson in 1989 to proclaim 1990 as the “Year of Reconciliation” between Native Americans and whites and to change Columbus Day to Native American Day.
At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV) Drunk History (Comedy Central) I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu) Portlandia (IFC) Saturday Night Live (NBC) Tracey Ullman's Show (HBO)
This is the only category in which "At Home With Amy Sedaris" and "I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman" earned nominations, and I predict both will walk away empty-handed. 'Saturday Night Live' won this category last year and I'm confident it will win it again this year.
I was closer with my pick for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy, where I wrote "The speculative fiction fan in me wants this to go to Maya Rudolph, but I think it will between one of the hosts of SNL and Jane Lynch. Yes, more 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.'" Tiffany Haddish was a guest host of SNL, so I'll count this as a success.
Tiffany Haddish talks with the Emmys Thank You Cam after winning for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Congratulations to Haddish, who I think is cute, funny, and deserving of her stardom. May she have a long and successful career in entertainment and bring much joy to her fans.
Game of Thrones takes home the award for Outstanding Drama Series.
I made an even firmer prediction in the next category.
Every nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series represents speculative fiction show or a series that examines politics and government with some examining both — more fantastic and futuristic politics and government!
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Spoils of War") (HBO)
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf") (HBO)
Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "First Blood") (Hulu)
David Harbour as Jim Hopper on Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Four: Will the Wise") (Netflix)
Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on Homeland (Episode: "Species Jump") (Showtime)
Matt Smith as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on The Crown (Episode: "Mystery Man") (Netflix)
I asked what if the entertainment professionals voted on the television acting nominations at the Saturn Awards? The answer for this category was that Peter Dinklage would replace Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a nominee. It turns out that the Saturn Award nominating committee got Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's nomination right, just as they did for Adina Porter in "American Horror Story: Cult." On the other hand, I was right to think that Peter Dinklage deserved a nomination as well. Sorry, Kit Harington. I also called that the professionals would pick David Harbour, who the Saturn Awards snubbed. All of them, plus Joseph Fiennes from "The Handmaid's Tale," performed in series that potray fantastic and futuristic politics and government, so any of them winning would satisfy me. As for who would win, I'm personally rooting for Harbour, who won a Critics' Choice Award, but I think the trophy will go to Dinklage, who is the only one of the nominees to win this category, which he did twice, most recently in 2015.
Alexis Bledel as Emily / Ofsteven on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Unwomen") (Hulu)
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven on Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Three: The Pollywog") (Netflix)
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "June") (Hulu)
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf") (HBO)
Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret on The Crown (Episode: "Beryl") (Netflix)
Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay on Westworld (Episode: "Akane no Mai") (HBO)
Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Women's Work") (Hulu)
My personal favorite is Thandie Newton, who I liked better than Evan Rachel Wood in this season of "Westworld," followed by Millie Bobby Brown. Unfortunately, I don't think either will win. Instead, this category features a match-up between two of last year's winners, Ann Dowd, who won this award last year, and Alexis Bledel, who won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for the same role last year. Between the two of them, I think Dowd has the inside track. My choice for upset would be either Newton or Vanessa Kirby. The first would at least be a win for diversity as well as great acting, while the latter would be an example of a great role elevating a performance.
Thandie Newton wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Westworld.
So "Westworld" isn't really about futuristic government (the one time actual government shows up in the form of the People's Liberation Army, they get chased off the island), but it is my favorite of all the nominated speculative fiction shows, so I'm happy. Congratulations to Thandie Newton, F-bomb and all!
Unlike last year, when 'The Handmaid's Tale' swept the last night of Emmys to win five awards, it didn't win a single award at the Primetime Emmy Awards, although it did repeat its three wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Instead, four different shows divided up the seven awards for drama series at the final night of the Emmy Awards, "The Americans," "The Crown," "Game of Thrones," and "Westworld." Instead of writing about all four in one post, I am splitting discussion of them and the other drama winners into historical and contemporary dramas today and fantastic and futuristic drama series tomorrow.
Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde on Ozark (Episode: "The Toll") (Netflix) Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (Episode: "Number Three") (NBC) Ed Harris as The Man in Black / William on Westworld (Episode: "Vanishing Point") (HBO) Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings on The Americans (Episode: "START") (FX) Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson on This Is Us (Episode: "The Car") (NBC) Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe on Westworld (Episode: "The Passenger") (HBO)
Well, look at that, a rematch of Ed Harris versus Jeffrey Wright, who contended against each other for Best Supporting Actor on Television for these same roles at the 2017 Saturn Awards, a contest Ed Harris won. I don't think that will happen here for two reasons. First, Jeffrey Wright delivered the more nuanced and complex performance, which would be rewarded by the voters of the Television Academy, unlike the Saturn Award voters, who are not about subtle. Second, Sterling K. Brown is the returning winner, so I expect he's favored. Either would be a win for diversity as well as great acting.
My choice for an upset would be Jason Bateman. My wife and I are in the middle of binge-watching "Ozark" and we are really impressed with Bateman's performance. So might the Emmy voters.
I did not see this coming at all, as I really thought Sterling K. Brown would repeat. Instead, "This Is Us" won only one Emmy Award, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, while "The Americans" won two. Surprise and congratulations!
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Episode: "Dear Mrs. Kennedy") (Netflix) Tatiana Maslany as Various Characters on Orphan Black (Episode: "To Right the Wrongs of Many") (BBC America) Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred on The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "The Last Ceremony") (Hulu) Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (Episode: "I Have a Thing About Bathrooms") (BBC America) Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings on The Americans (Episode: "The Summit") (FX) Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy on Westworld (Episode: "Reunion") (HBO)
While I'm rooting for Evan Rachel Wood, I doubt she'll win. Instead, I think it's another contest between the past two winners, Tatiana Maslany, who won two years ago, and Elisabeth Moss, who won last year. While neither would be a win for diversity — that would be Sandra Oh, who is the first actress of Asian ancestry to be nominated for this category — both would be wins for speculative fiction, which would make me happy. Finally, my choice for an upset would be Keri Russell, who won Individual Achievement in Drama at the TCA Awards. That would be a fitting send-off for the final season of the spy drama as well as a different way to make an anti-Trump and anti-Putin statement.
The Crown (Episode: "Paterfamilias"), directed by Stephen Daldry (Netflix) Game of Thrones (Episode: "Beyond the Wall"), directed by Alan Taylor (HBO) Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf"), directed by Jeremy Podeswa (HBO) The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "After"), directed by Kari Skogland (Hulu) Ozark (Episode: "The Toll"), directed by Jason Bateman (Netflix) Ozark (Episode: "Tonight We Improvise"), directed by Daniel Sackheim (Netflix) Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Nine: The Gate"), directed by the Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
This is the strongest category for "Ozark," so I think this is the category in which it has the best shot for a win. Even so, I would consider it an upset, as "The Handmaid's Tale" won last year and "Game of Thrones" the two years before that. Between the two, I give the advantage to "The Handmaid's Tale" based on its win at the DGA Awards.
Stephen Daldry wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series for The Crown.
Seeing "The Crown" win two awards on the final night reminds me of something I wrote in response to Lowry, Trump and The Handmaid's Tale at Booman Tribune last year: "Which shows and actors did Lowry think deserved the awards more than 'The Handmaid's Tale?' What would have have liked, winners from 'The Crown' and 'This is Us?'" As I wrote, "The Handmaid's Tale" didn't win anything on the final night, but "The Crown" sure did, so I hope Lowry is happy.
I did have some inkling of "The Americans" winning the next award.
The Americans (Episode: "START"), written by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (FX) The Crown (Episode: "Mystery Man"), written by Peter Morgan (Netflix) Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf"), written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (HBO) The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "June"), written by Bruce Miller (Hulu) Killing Eve (Episode: "Nice Face"), written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (BBC America) Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Nine: The Gate"), written by the Duffer Brothers (Netflix)
Again, "The Handmaid's Tale" won last year and "Game of Thrones" the two years before that, so I think the contest is between them with the advantage going to "The Handmaid's Tale" based on its win at the WGA Awards. I give a slim chance of an upset to "The Americans" for its final season.
I expected the Creative Arts Emmy Awards would reward the entertaining Super Bowl commercial "Alexa Loses Her Voice" from Amazon while the News and Documentary Emmy Awards would recognize one of the more serious ad campaigns such as "The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick" from PBS. It was exactly the opposite; the Creative Arts Emmy Awards gave the Oustanding Commercial award to the very serious "The Talk - My Black is Beautiful x P&G" while the News and Documentary Emmy Awards rewarded Discovery Channel's entertaining "2017 Shark Week" with Outstanding Promotional Announcement. Go figure.
I am glad to have been wrong about the winner of this award. "The Talk" is a public service announcement America needs to watch. As I wrote at the end of August, "Let's talk about 'The Talk' so we can end the need to have it." The Television Academy agreed with me.
Now from the sublime to the ridiculous, here is the winner of Outstanding Promotional Announcement, which includes nearly the entire hilarious, if macabre, commercial.
Moving even farther out into space, "NASA JPL: Cassini's Grand Finale" earned a nomination for Outstanding Original Interactive Program. ... Joining "Cassini's Grand Finale" as a nominee in the category is "Back To The Moon," a glorified Google doodle. ... Joining both are three speculative fiction featurettes, "Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab," "Coco VR," and "Spider-Man Homecoming VR Experience." I'll have more to write about then later when I cover the speculative fiction nominees.
I hope it's "NASA JPL: Cassini's Grand Finale," but I wouldn't be surprised by any of them winning, especially the Google doodle, which more people probably saw than the other two.
As a reminder, here is the video that I embedded two months ago to represent the program.
The final chapter in a remarkable mission of exploration and discovery, Cassini's Grand Finale is in many ways like a brand new mission. Twenty-two times, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will dive through the unexplored space between Saturn and its rings. What we learn from these ultra-close passes over the planet could be some of the most exciting revelations ever returned by the long-lived spacecraft. This animated video tells the story of Cassini's final, daring assignment and looks back at what the mission has accomplished.
Goodbye, Cassini! Also, congratulations to the JPL interactive media team on their Emmy Award!
The other Emmy Award earned by a program about space went to "The Farthest: Voyager in Space" at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Watch The Farthest - Voyager in Space - Trailer.
Over 12 billion miles from Earth, a gangly ship sails through interstellar space. It is, by far, the most distant object made by human hands. In 1977, NASA launched twin Voyager spacecraft. An emotional, cinematic documentary, The Farthest tells their story through first-hand accounts from the passionate men and women who built the ships and guided their journeys. Negotiating a series of perils on its Grand Tour of the outer planets, Voyager beamed back spectacular images of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. But their moons offered bigger surprises—volcanoes, geysers, and a liquid water ocean. On the chance of discovery by intelligent aliens, each spacecraft carried a Golden Record with music and spoken greetings. The mission has earned its place in the pantheon of human achievements. Long after our sun has flamed out, the Voyagers are likely to be sailing on, perhaps the only evidence that we ever existed.
Out of all the nominees for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary, "The Farthest: Voyager in Space" would probably have been my favorite, followed by the "Nova" episode "Poisoned Water" about the Flint Water Crisis.* I got my wish, as it won.
This is the second major entertainment award JPL/NASA won for Voyager this year, joining the the Grammy Award won by "The Voyager Golden Record." Congratulations!
Stay tuned for more on the Emmy Award winners.
*I am sorry I didn't write an entry about all of the nominees for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary. I might write about both "Poisoned Water" and "The Mars Generation" in a future post.
Last year, "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" won four Emmy Awards, Outstanding Talk Variety Series, Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Variety Series, and Outstanding Interactive Program. This year, it won the same four awards. Nothing like consistency. Speaking of which, I called all four wins. I wasn't so lucky with the other Creative Arts and Primetime Emmy Awards — follow over the jump for two of my misses.
The award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series goes to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Congratulations to John Oliver, his writers, picture editors, and interactive show creators!
In the first episode after the Emmy Awards, Oliver and his writers described how Facebook moved fast and broke things, especially in Myanmar.
Facebook’s global expansion has been linked to political turmoil overseas, so maybe their ads should focus less on how they “connect the world” and more on why connecting people isn’t always the best idea.
