It’s the eve of the Emmy Awards, and television viewers across the nation and around the world are weighing in on who they think will claim the top prize in television tomorrow.
Here at the 2WC we’re waiting until tomorrow to cast our unofficial ballots.
Today, I thought I’d weigh in on this year’s Emmy controversy — the Netflix Invasion.
Since their creation back in 1949, the Emmy Awards have been for television. If you didn’t have to contact your cable provider to view it, then it wasn’t getting nominated for an Emmy.
This year, the Emmys changed the game and Netflix received a total of 14 nominations for their original programming.
The truly amazing thing about this “controversy” is that the rules of eligibility that allow Netflix to garner nominations for its shows were changed back in 2008…nobody noticed.
I get it, change is scary. If you let Netflix in, then maybe we’ll have to start adding new categories for Internet content. You’ll look back fondly on this year’s nominees when we’re forced to sit through the nominees for “Best Cat Video.”
The fact is that the way we view entertainment is changing. Weekly television programs are a thing of the past. Most of us don’t even watch televised programs when they’re on (that’s what the DVR is for).
Is this change for the better? In some ways, I would say yes. Streaming content (at least for now), doesn’t have to deal with a lot of the politics that affect network shows. However, it also could lead to a much more isolated viewing experience…which some might argue that it already has.
Only time will tell, but for now we can all sit back and enjoy some entertaining television.
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More on the Story: NY Times
…just for fun:
