Entertainment
From Weird Al's Medley to That 'Seinfeld' Star Makeout, the 17 Best & Worst Moments of The 2014 Emmy Awards
They may be 66 years old, but the Emmys haven't exactly changed much over time; no matter how many ways the show tries to switch it up, the ceremony always seems to give its viewers a major sense of deja vu. A dark cable show gets Best Drama; the host makes fun of his friends; Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins something. Yet while the predictability of the show gets frustrating at times, there's a reason for the formula — it works.
And this year's Emmys was no exception. Between Kathy Bates' surprise win, that hilarious, star-studded make out sesh, and much more, the night was filled with moments that spruced up the show — although not all of them for the better. Read on for the 17 best and worst moments of the 2014 Emmy Awards.
BEST/WORST: Seth Meyers' Opening Monologue
Peppered with cute one-liners but also a fair share of awkward flops, Meyers’ opening monologue was a mixed bag. For every spot-on joke about How I Met Your Mother or HBO, there was a misfire about NBC’s fourth-place spot or TV being the booty call of…something? As Meyers himself said: “Jokes are like nominees — they can’t all be winners.”
BEST: Jimmy Kimmel's Ribbing on Matthew McConaughey
Let the Jimmy Kimmel for 2015 Emmy host petition start now: In just a few minutes onstage, the Live host managed to be ten times funnier than anything seen in the show so far. Nominee Matthew McConaughey happily took the brunt of his jokes, getting made fun of for his love of weed, movie star face, and tendency to ramble on in speeches (“alright, alright, alright already!”). Short, funny, and perfect.
BEST: 'Billy on the Street' — Emmy Edition
The only thing better than episode of Billy on the Street? An Emmy-themed episode of Billy on the Street . Along with show host Seth Meyers, Billy Eichner ran through the streets of New York asking random people their thoughts on everything from Meyers’ hosting gig to Tatiana Maslany’s terrible snub. As expected, their answers were a perfect mix of incredulity, joy, and a whole lot of hilarious confusion.
BEST: Bryan Cranston's Mustache
Julia Louis-Dreyfus said it best: “Hold on, Clark Gable. Hold on.”
WORST: Jim Parsons' Win — Again
Look, Jim Parsons seems like a sweet guy, and he’s perfectly fine on The Big Bang Theory. But really, another win? Even he looked like he’d rather it have been someone else.
BEST: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston's Makeout Sesh
Well, she definitely remembers him now. After Cranston failed to get Louis-Dreyfus to recall his kiss-filled guest role on an episode of Seinfeld, he planted one on her while she walked to the stage to accept her win for Outstanding Lead Comedy Actress. Longest, funniest, and weirdest awards show kiss ever.
BEST: Kathy Bates' Genuine Surprise
It would’ve been great to see Allison Tolman take home Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries, but watching Bates’ adorable, ecstatic surprise at winning was totally worth the upset.
WORST: The Total Lack of Cumberbatch
No tux photos? No red carpet photobombs? No adorable acceptance speech? The night was a lot duller without Benedict Cumberbatch in attendance, as well as his Sherlock costar, Martin Freeman.
BEST/WORST: Weird Al Yankovic's Theme Song Medley
Had Yankovic even seen any of those shows before summing them up in his medley? Parody can be great, but saying “it’s mad men! It’s mad men!” is not exactly groundbreaking humor. Still, it wasn’t all bad; Andy Samberg as Joffrey is a sight that should be present at every awards show, ever.
BEST: 'The Normal Heart's Well-Deserved Win
The TV movie’s win was no surprise, and it was certainly deserved. As the cast and crew accepted the award for Outstanding Television Movie, a sweet moment became one of the night’s best when Larry Kramer, the creator of the play the film was based on, was shown onstage, and later, when Ryan Murphy took the time to acknowledge those suffering from AIDS.
BEST/WORST: Gwen Stefani Pulling a John Travolta
The Emmy goes to… The Colbort Report ? Sorry, Gwen Stefani, but I think you read that card wrong. An embarrassing moment for the singer, but a great moment for America.
WORST: The Sexism
Dear Emmy producers: Putting Sofia Vergara literally on a pedestal so that viewers can ogle her for a “joke” isn’t funny. Not even a little bit.
BEST: The Tributes
With Sara Bareilles’ singing beautifully in the background, the traditional In Memoriam montage was a perfect, heartbreaking ode to this year’s late stars. And when it came to Robin Williams’ special honor, friend Billy Crystal delivered a hugely moving tribute that left no dry eyes in the audience.
BEST: Julianna Margulies' Win
The Good Wife may have been snubbed for Best Drama, but its star Julianna Margulies got the last word when she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Drama Actress — and that shout-out to the great state of women on TV was the icing on the cake.
WORST: 'Modern Family's Win for Best Comedy
Like Jim Parsons’ win for The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family ’s Best Comedy honor wasn’t undeserved, exactly, but exhausting. It would’ve been great to see Orange Is the New Black or Veep take home the prize, but once again, Family prevailed.
WORST: The Glaring Lack of Diversity
Despite a more inclusive roster of Emmy nominees than usual, the actual winners of the show were very, very white. Add to that the sexist Sofia Vergara skit and the lack of women in most of the nominated shows’ onstage groups, this year’s Emmy awards could’ve benefited from a lot more diversity.
BEST: 'Breaking Bad's Domination
Breaking Bad took home nearly every prize it was nominated for, a deserving end to the show’s fantastic final year. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, and the others have a lot to celebrate — let’s just hope they remember to trade out the blue meth for a few glasses of champagne.
