From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

The 52nd Annual Emmy Awards concluded, drawing the curtain on another year in television amidst a roaring storm of noise and applause.

In the drama category, "The West Wing" emerged as the biggest winner, taking home five awards, including Best Drama Series, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Writing.

In the comedy category, "Will \u0026 Grace" reigned supreme, securing three major awards, including Best Comedy Series, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

However, the two significant awards for Best Director and Best Writing went to "Malcolm in the Middle," "Everybody Loves Raymond" won Best Actress, and "Spin City" took home Best Actor.

In stark contrast to the drama category where "The West Wing" dominated, the comedy category was a free-for-all, with no single show emerging as the ultimate victor. Instead, the competition was evenly matched, making "Will \u0026 Grace's" "victory" not a true victory in the strictest sense.

Evidently, this was an unexpected yet reasonable outcome. On the surface, it showcased the golden age of comedy with diverse voices, but behind the scenes, it revealed fierce competition between different networks and shows. To some extent, it could be seen as a power struggle between different camps and interests.

Thus—

On the network side, NBC, with shows like "The West Wing" and "Will \u0026 Grace," led the pack with eleven awards, leaving its competitors far behind. HBO secured eight awards, reaffirming its reputation as the king of critical acclaim. ABC's seven awards could be considered a pleasant surprise.

The most disappointing results came from CBS and Fox, each only taking home two awards.

However, Fox, whose television drama quality has been consistently lackluster in recent years, played the dark horse with "Malcolm in the Middle," staging a beautiful comeback. Despite only winning two awards, they were the two most substantial awards in the comedy category, a true case of the鹬蚌相争渔翁得利 (the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman benefits).

Another year has passed, with some rejoicing and others worrying. Amidst the hustle and bustle, all eyes are now on the new broadcast season set to begin in September.

One can imagine another fierce battle ahead. Even though the fall season hasn't officially started, the air already crackles with the scent of gunpowder.

Clearly, they don't want a monopoly to emerge, as it would disrupt the industry balance.

Thus.

In the comedy category, "Malcolm in the Middle" became the disruptor. Simultaneously, "Will \u0026 Grace" rose to prominence, while "Friends" was completely snubbed.

One win out of five nominations.

This was "Friends'" scorecard for tonight's award ceremony. The only award came from… Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, Anson Mount.

Who could have imagined that Anson would be "Friends'" last fig leaf, and that Anson would be the one to speak out and take a stand for the show?

Unexpected, an unexpected twist.

Even if some had anticipated that NBC's dominance might face a full-scale challenge, no one expected Anson to play the role of spokesperson.

Furthermore, and most importantly, Anson wasn't just speaking for the six main cast members of "Friends," but for every professional in the television industry. He believed that every role and every position deserves respect, the subtext being that the dispute between the Emmys and "Friends" didn't need to be taken too seriously.

He gave both sides a slap on the wrist.

Interestingly, both sides had their own interpretations. The Emmys believed that Anson's words were supporting them, encouraging actors to leverage their talents in different roles. The "Friends" team believed that Anson's words were protesting on their behalf, proving that all six actors were the main characters was the truth.

Things suddenly became interesting.

From the perspective of the award ceremony, Anson was like walking a tightrope. A slight misstep could offend the Emmys, NBC, and the "Friends" team all at once, becoming a pig in a mirror, displeasing everyone. A slight deviation in the interpretation of his words would put him at odds with everyone.

But Anson's appropriate and well-balanced handling of the situation made the whole thing fascinating. Relying on the platform of live television, he won public support and ultimately became an object that the Emmys, NBC, and the "Friends" team all tried to "win over," proving that Anson was defending their views.

A slight difference, and he transformed from a pig in a mirror to a popular treat, loved by all.

This outcome was also unexpected.

Originally, the guest actor award was more like an Easter egg, a form of adjustment and entertainment, because there's no such award in film award ceremonies. Creating an award for special appearances/guest roles, even in the Emmys, the positioning of this award is somewhat ambiguous and undefinable—

If it's said to be on par with other awards, it's unfair to the creators of the show.

But if it's said that the award isn't valuable, it's still voted on like other awards.

Naturally, the guest actor award falls somewhere between serious and entertainment.

Winning an award is indeed winning an award. No one can deny that it's an Emmy, but the media won't hype it up too much, like "So-and-so won the Best Guest Actor award again!" At the same time, actors won't highlight this award in their personal resumes, saying, "Hey, don't forget the Emmy for Best Guest Actor!"

Normally, even if Anson won the award, the news coverage wouldn't be extensive, and he wouldn't be the focus in the star-studded award ceremony.

This year, Anson gave the "guest actor" a special meaning with his actions—

From the red carpet to the award ceremony, Anson was purely a guest who came to have fun. He wasn't the main character or the focus, but he continuously stole the show in different ways, demonstrating a strong presence, even overshadowing the other main characters, so much so that the afterglow lingered even after the award ceremony ended.

Is it reasonable?

This is the true star of the ceremony.

Before the award ceremony even ended, the Shrine Auditorium was already buzzing with discussions, all revolving around Anson, and becoming increasingly mysterious. There were even rumors that Anson's words were instructed by Jennifer Aniston, and in exchange, Jennifer and Brad Pitt would create buzz for Anson on the red carpet—

Distorting the truth, the matter is far from the reality, completely unrelated.

To this, Anson swore: The parties involved were completely unaware, sincerely.

Fourth update.