Neil Patrick Harris bombing on the EMMYS- Page 4

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 9:21am

I watched Mr. Harris with my mind on his upcoming stint as Hedwig and was so disappointed. I hope the Emmy show wasn't one of his best performances.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 10:22am

NPH is a very talented performer who was saddled with carrying what (to me, at least) was a horribly conceived and executed Emmycast. An even more unfortunate slight for him was that his opening bit also reminded viewers of three of the more recently successful hosts: Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien and Tina Fey/Amy Poehler. All of their telecasts were excellently catered to their styles, and they executed them to the best of their abilities (as NPH has in the past as well, when shows are best tailored to his tone; this was not, to say the least.)

The producers may have had the best intentions in the world with the personalized eulogies, but the overall effect of them as pre-commercial bumpers was to wash the entire broadcast in a soapy film of imminent death for all involved. Even as I felt admiration and humility seeing Michael J. Fox (a man who is singlehandedly putting a dignified face on what could have been a tragically silent end to his career and is instead heroically forging a working life in spite of his physical condition) give a personal tribute, I couldn't help but hate myself imagining the rapturous outpouring of love he will receive at a future Emmy Awards after he passes (which hopefully is many long years from now.) This hanging cloud of doom that was present throughout I place squarely on the shoulders of the producers.

That there also were bombing jokes and also a few offensively poor-taste ones (better suited for a Seth MacFarlane, or anyone else equally tasteless) doesn't help his case. NPH may have had input, but in my judgment he likely didn't have enough. I don't blame him as I've seen him excel at this in the past. He's not the variable at fault to me; the producers are.

[gavyj]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 11:54am

Carrie will be singing in the pitch of yell with a twang.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 7:44pm

Maybe it was you, honey? You seem to rub a lot of people the wrong way without really trying.

Why namo, are we speaking again? How nice!

I promise you I said nothing to Jack Klugman but "Yes, sir", "No, sir" and "I am very sorry I made a mistake with your brother's tickets and I will do anything possible to correct the error." Klugman, in turn, screamed and swore at me for nearly an hour because his brother had been charged for tix that should have been comped. Lovely man (Klugman/the brother was fine). (The error wasn't actually mine, but I figured it would only make things worse if I tried to pass the buck.)

Updated On: 9/24/13 at 07:44 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 7:47pm

I can't imagine that they couldn't find one person in the entire industry to present a tribute to Klugman. I mean, isn't it all about acting? *wink*

Alas, Tony Randall died before him.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 8:35pm

I just find it difficult to assume one awful encounter over a ticket eff up can explain the totality of somebody's life.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/24/13 at 10:13pm

"I watched Mr. Harris with my mind on his upcoming stint as Hedwig and was so disappointed. I hope the Emmy show wasn't one of his best performances."

Why assess his musical theatre performance skills based on a black tie awards show hosting gig? And not even the Tony Awards, but the Emmys. Watch Company or the Sweeney Todd concert or Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/25/13 at 7:56pm

I just find it difficult to assume one awful encounter over a ticket eff up can explain the totality of somebody's life.

I promise you that was merely the worst example, although yelling at a 20-year-old box office worker for an hour over a simple error on the worker's first opening night is telling, if you ask me. (I mean, jeeze, it was his brother for Christ's sake, not the head of casting for NBC. How "embarrassed" could Klugman have been?) I think the guy had serious anger-management issues.

But my original remark was a joke. I'm sure they could have found someone to say something nice about the man, if only they had searched long enough.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 6:09am

I think the thought behind the tributes were lovely but a strange continuous downer and exclusive. In THIS format, I think the traditional montage is better suited.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 11:43am

I have to say, I agree totally with Jack Klugman's son. A three time emmy award winning actor who did amazing work his entire life being mentioned while giving tribute to an actor who only did one show (and one that makes superstars out of very questionable talent. I mean Leah Michelle????) just to appease an age demographic was questionable at the least.
Dishonor

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 12:50pm

Since every show gets in trouble every year for the way they do the memorials, or who they select, it seems like the clock is ticking on when the shows will just cut them entirely.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 1:02pm

What kind of trouble do they get into?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 8:54pm

I have to say, I agree totally with Jack Klugman's son.

For the record and because of the conversation above, I want to say I entirely agree.

There is no question that Klugman's excellent body of work on television (not to mention Broadway and films) deserved more equal recognition. Dramamama is right: do the montage and leave it at that.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 8:59pm

Do you seriously wonder why people snap at you?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/26/13 at 9:14pm

Do you seriously wonder why people snap at you?

Yes, I do. Why don't you explain it for a change?

Like most people with three-digit IQs, I can entertain two, seemingly contradictory thoughts at the same time: in my (admittedly limited) experience, Jack Klugman was a great actor (who should have been appropriately remembered for his body of work) and a nasty human being.

Why is that so hard to understand?

Updated On: 9/26/13 at 09:14 PM