So what's this whole mess about the press not being shown Emmy tapes about? Well, it depends on whom you are asking and believe me; I've asked everyone I can think of. Actually I couldn't find two people to give the same answer; everyone's reply was different. In short, the press is not being shown what actors submitted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. There is plenty of rumor and speculation as to why. The official party line that it wasn't beneficial is such a song and dance that challenging the validity of their excuse, er, reason for it, seems a bit useless. Of course I understand why the press doesn't like being shut out, it's the press, they're touchy. Seriously though, how can one really honestly cover the Emmys if they don't have all of the information necessary to cover it? Reporters have been scrambling to get straight from the actors' mouths which tapes they submitted to prevent being completely left in the dark. But as the press has learned from viewing the tapes, which episodes and storylines their tapes cover don't exactly tell the whole story of what the panel actually sees. Subject matter in each tape is crucial information, but quality of the tape and the actual amount of scenes covered in the reel are also important. So like it or not, the press will pretty much be out of the loop come next Friday.
A friend of mine floated a theory that I don't really think has a lot of feasibility, but he did make me think. He suggested that the industry is tired of people criticizing winners and having the ammunition to do it. That perhaps the press and the fans were becoming way to knowledgeable about the voting process which instead lead to more griping and complaining then when most weren't aware of how things worked. Once upon a time before the Internet, there were very few fans that understood Susan Lucci kept losing because she sent in the wrong tapes. Once fans practically became fellow insiders in the industry, they began to know everything and sometimes it helped soothe their anger, but more often than not, it has fueled it. So my friend began to theorize that this is the real reason behind the press being frozen out. It's not like that isn't a possibility. After all, soaps are under siege from every which way. They are constantly in danger from extinction, criticized by the rest of the entertainment industry, and having the voting process overanalyzed especially in the last couple of years with so many changes, must drive them batty. But I'm not convinced they care enough about the criticism to make that big of a fuss. I'd be much more inclined to bet that NATAS just doesn't think enough of the Daytime Emmys to anticipate an uproar. Still, I wouldn't put it past them.
