Both the Golden Globes and the SAG award nominations were announced this week, and I have to admit, both lists like every year, had glaring omissions and undeserved nods. For those of us who love television, THIS SHIT IS SIRIUS BIDNESS, Y’ALL. You can check Amalah’s list of the Golden Globe nods here and the full list of SAG nominations here, but I’m all about giving you my unsolicited opinion on the righteous triumphs and incredible injustices in the television awards community. So, here are my thoughts on the good noms, the bad noms, and the criminally omitted for this year’s Golden Globes and SAG awards.
Best Female Actor in a Drama
The Good
Elisabeth Moss’s Peggy Olsen on AMC’s Mad Men is one of my favorite female characters on television, and I’m glad to see Moss get a both a SAG and Golden Globe nomination for her work during the 4th season. Katey Sagal earned a much-deserved (and, frankly, overdue) Golden Globe nom for her ass-kicking as family matriarch Gemma Teller on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
The Bad
Piper Perabo? DOUBTFUL, people. FUCKING DOUBTFUL. Also, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Law and Order:SVU. I watch it ALL THE TIME. It is my go-to show to have on while I’m working. And I think Mariska Hargitay is a good actress. But, seriously, COME ON. You can’t tell me she deserves to be nominated over many more nuanced actresses working the small screen today. For example:
The Criminal
Connie. Fucking. Britton. She was nominated for an Emmy this year for her outstanding work on NBC/DirecTV’s seminal Friday Night Lights, and she deserved it. To omit her from both the SAG and Golden Globe lists during what is Friday Night Lights‘ last season is downright criminal. But I’ll talk more about the Conspiracy Against Friday Night Lights later.
Best Male Actor in a Drama
The Good
The nominations for both SAG and the Golden Globes are both predictable and identical: Buschemi, Cranston, Hamm, Hall, Laurie. All fairly well-deserving. My money’s on Buschemi.
The Bad
I hate to admit it, but I’m slightly over Hugh Laurie.
The Criminal
Again, Friday Night Lights was robbed. Kyle Chandler absolutely nails it, week after week, as Eric Taylor, and was nominated for an Emmy this year. He should absolutely be on this list.
Best Female Actor in a Comedy/Musical
The Good
Can I just thank whoever omitted Julia-Louis Dreyfus from the SAG and Golden Globe noms? Because while I’ll always love and respect the her work as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine just isn’t funny. At all. Edie Falco was nominated for both awards after taking home the Emmy this summer for her work on Nurse Jackie, where her spot-on portrayal of the complex Jackie Peyton makes me forget she was Carmella Soprano.
The Bad
Lea Michele? She’s not even the best female actor on Glee. Does anyone watch this Hot In Cleveland noise on TVLand? Should I be watching this? Because I think SAG just wanted to get in on the Betty White fever LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
The Criminal
Amy Poehler is downright hilarious as the earnest bureaucrat in the much-improved Parks and Recreation. She settled into the lead role on a show that I think might be the consistently-funniest comedy in NBCs lineup.
Best Male Actor in a Comedy/Musical
The Good
Jim Parsons won the Emmy this year for his hilarious role as Sheldon Cooper in CBS’s Big Bang Theory. I’m totally prejudiced against CBS: there are some downright atrocious shows they happily produce (fucking Two and a Half Men? Ugh), but Parsons makes BBT one of my weekly must-watch comedies. He carries the show. Kudos to the Golden Globes for his inclusion.
The Bad
While I love Glee, Matthew Morrison just doesn’t do it for me. His work is drowned out by the better talent of his younger costars and Jane Lynch. To me, he’s one of the weaker members of the cast, and he definitely doesn’t deserve to be nominated.
The Criminal
If any of these groups wanted true credibility, Louis CK would be nominated for Louie, but he’s too motherfuckin’ gangsta.
Best Supporting Actors*
*(SAG doesn’t delineate between lead and supporting acting roles)
The Good
Jane Lynch is fabulous in her role as Sue Sylvester on Glee and won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy this summer. She should win here, too.
The Bad
Okay, I’m not going to lie. I don’t watch fucking Hawaii 5-0, but I find it hard to believe that Scott “Tweeder from Varsity Blues” Caan is deserving over some of the snubs for male actors in this category (see below).
The Criminal
Honestly, half of the nominated folks are on shows I don’t watch, but I can’t help but wonder about snubs for solidly high-performing supporting actors like Terry O’Quinn or Michael Emerson from the final season of Lost. I also think Danny Pudi had an outside chance for his work on Community. No Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad? No love for anyone from Big Love or True Blood? I know it’s too much to ask for Zack Gilford to get a nod for Friday Night Lights during his series swan song. What about our boyfriend Neil Patrick Harris? Sigh. See? SCOTT FUCKING CAAN IS BULLSHIT.
Best Cast/Show, Drama
The Good
Kudos to Boardwalk Empire for reestablishing HBO’s legitimacy of serious one-hour dramas. Mad Men, of course, is deserving, too, as is Dexter.
The Bad
I haven’t watched it. Is The Good Wife really that good? I know Jodifur is a fan, but I don’t really know anyone else that watches it. Also, while I really loved The Walking Dead, I think it needs another season under its belt. Can you really be worthy of a Golden Globe nomination for a best series when you only had six episodes? I mean, isn’t that practically a mini-series?
The Criminal
All right, here’s my diatribe on why there is a Conspiracy Against Friday Night Lights. It’s been a critical darling since it’s first season. Those who vote on all of these awards have no excuse not to watch it. It’s on the radar, critically speaking. And it’s fucking good. Really good. The acting is superb, the writing spot-on, and it is one of the most, if not the most, realistic character-based drama on television. It’s gorgeously shot and impeccably edited. It is moving and sweet and heartbreaking and cathartic. The problem (and where I think the conspiracy comes in) is that people think it’s a show about football. It’s not; it’s a show about relationships and families and the peaks and valleys of being a human being living in America. And because people think it’s a show about football, I think voters are apprehensive about giving it artistic accolades. And honestly, I think it’s because artsy-ass people fucking hate jocks. That’s the simplest way I can put it. I say that as both a former jock and a former/current artsy-ass person. I can’t think of a single other reason why this show has not gotten the credit it deserves from the awards community. And it’s a damn shame. However, the same thing happened to The Wire, so at least it’s in good company in its shunning.
Also, I think this season of Sons of Anarchy was also worthier than The Walking Dead. I wouldn’t say that about prior season, but I looked forward to Ryan Sutter and his crew’s weekly episode more than any other drama on TV this fall.
Best Cast/Show, Comedy/Musical
The Good
Nurse Jackie, Glee, and Modern Family are all deserving for their efforts as a whole, although I still don’t see how Nurse Jackie is a comedy, yet Dexter is a drama. Is it strictly running-time? I’d argue they have a very similar tone and feel.
The Bad
I’m a big fan of The Big Bang Theory, and I’m largely entertained by it each week, but I don’t think it’s worth of a Golden Globe nod. Its strength rests largely on the stellar performance of Jim Parsons, and while he riffs well with other characters, particularly female cast members Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik, it’s still kind of a one-note show.
The Criminal
A little part of me hoped that Party Down would get a nod as a final fuck-you to Starz for canceling them. I also think that both Community and Parks and Recreation were consistently as strong, if not stronger, than The Office and 30 Rock. The “Modern Warfare” episode of Community was the funniest half-hour of television on in the past year.
What say you, MamaPop? Who should win? Who was robbed? SPEAK THE TRUF.
