Strawberry, great post. You're absolutely right. But sometimes it's just nice to see something get recognition. (I do like GLOW, by the way...a lot...but Game of Thrones was lackluster, Westworld is a big nothing, and The Handmaid's Tale is quite heavy handed.)NormoftheAndes wrote:Apart from all that waffle and shit-talking as you describe it, could it be The Return was not nominated as a Limited Series because it simply wasn't good enough?Mr. Strawberry wrote:Okay, so Twin Peaks was not easy TV. It ruffled fan feathers and confused the hell out of everyone. Still, the fact that it's been given absolutely nothing might seem as confounding as its own story. That is, it's easy to feel that way at first blush.
But consider for a moment how familiar the whole things is -- mediocrity being held up as outstanding in every area to the point that there's simply no room left for "the rest". It reminds me of a certain institution, a place you're forced to go, where everyone gets an award, where following the herd is celebrated and individuality is crushed with hasty brutality.
What is this? Kindergarten? Nursery School?
But, doesn't it make sense? Have you ever seen an awards show that behaves any differently from this one? It's important to remember that these aren't awards (something I would give my son for doing an awesome drawing), they're rewards (something I would give my son in return for good behavior) -- they're reinforcements. Viewed in that way, one can see that all is well. Studios are rewarded (their approach to entertainment is reinforced) when they deliver what's expected of them. Expectations do change over time, but there's a familiarity to each iteration. It only takes a moment to recognize a package containing a distillation of current trends, especially when it is placed beside a work of art, which is something born of passion and vision.
Just as Twin Peaks failed to renew 25 years ago, it will also fail to receive accolades at The Big Awards Show. At the end of the day, the thing is still what it is, regardless of the most errant or studied appraisals. Also, for anyone involved in creating a work of art, satisfaction comes from the creation of the work, and once it's completed, that satisfaction then comes from enjoying the finished work through its effects on the self and others, while basking in the memories of its creation. A pat on the back is always welcome but should never be the goal nor should it ever be considered a definitive indication of merit.
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Now for Part II: The Shit Talking
I know this isn't about the other shows, yet I could not help but compare, so please consider what follows to be nothing more than a rant.
Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale*, Westworld, and The Alienist are all garbage in their own special ways. Stranger Things was entertaining though a bit uninspired. GLOW* was atrocious and unfunny in the most painfully embarrassing manner possible. Of all the shows nominated, this might be the biggest head scratcher.
Note: Perhaps I've missed some gold, since I haven't seen everything nominated.
*So terrible that I bailed after several episodes.
Norm - Regardless of personal opinion, the show is good enough. If you just go by critical acclaim and year-end acclaim, it should have had no problem being nominated. While disappointment was had in some circles, there is an overwhelming sense in year-end discussions (both TV and Film), articles written about the show and the continuing outpouring of love for it on places like Letterboxd that it will go down in history as a monumental and game-changing achievement.
And as MT said, the show wasn't exactly snubbed. It received 9 nominations, including those for writing and directing. This really speaks of it simply being too divisive to stand out in the major categories where it was competing against much friendlier fare that was easier to embrace by multitudes. It is always strange to see something so honored in nearly every category yet miss out on the big awards, but it happens all the time to stuff that isn't for everyone (i.e. Carol at the 2016 Academy Awards and The Master at the 2013 ceremony). And I assume only techies vote for technical categories, which makes it easier for lesser seen (or even lesser liked) stuff to get recognition.