Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon big winners for SNL at last night's Emmy Awards.

Courtesy of Slate:  

Given his obsession with ratings and his television fixation, there’s a good chance Donald Trump spent his Sunday night seething in front of the TV as he watched the Emmy Awards turn him into a punching bag. (Well, mostly.) Alec Baldwin, whose much-lauded impression of Trump on Saturday Night Live earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, couldn’t resist getting in his own dig at the president, beginning his acceptance speech by saying, “I suppose I should say: At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.” 

Baldwin was referencing Trump’s long-running complaint that the Emmys were somehow rigged against The Apprentice—a claim he repeated during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, footage of which was shown during Sunday’s ceremony. Baldwin continued his speech with another Trump burn: “I want to thank my wife. My wife and I had three children in three years, and we didn't have a child last year during the SNL season. I wonder if there's a correlation there. All you men out there, you put that orange wig on, it's birth control. Trust me.” Kudos to whoever’s job it was to keep Trump off of Twitter for the duration of the evening.

Baldwin was not the only SNL cast member to win an Emmy for their amazing portrayal of a candidate last night.

So did this incredibly talented performer.

(You will notice that Kate actually thanked Hillary whereas Alec merely mocked Trump. I think that says a lot.)

Alec Baldwin is great, don't get me wrong, but in my opinion Kate McKinnon may be one of the most talented cast members that SNL has every had in its stable.

I swear literally every time I see her onscreen she is killing it.

And her portrayal of Hillary Clinton was amazing.

SNL has most successful season in decades, receives 22 Emmy nominations.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Following its most successful season in more than two decades, “Saturday Night Live” secured 22 Emmy nominations on Thursday, the most in its decades-long history.

The NBC variety show transformed into something more over the course of its 42nd season, as millions of liberal-minded people across the country looked to Lorne Michaels and his cast to help make sense of the country’s election of President Donald Trump. 

That interest was reflected in its ratings ― it was the most watched season in more than two decades ― and now in its Emmy nominations, as the show bested its previous nomination record of 16, which it set in 2011 and tied last year.

Of course Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon were nominates, for Best Comedy Supporting Actor and Best Comedy Supporting Actress.

And that was well deserved indeed.

This season was the best one I have seen in quite a long time, and those two made it a joy.

I really think that SNL did a real public service with the skits showing Trump as Putin's puppet. It's just too bad that those in the heartland thing this is all left wing propaganda.

I had a lot of favorite sketches this last season, but I think the following was my all time favorites.

Hey, it made me appreciate Hillary Clinton a lot more.

Julianne Moore explains why she agreed to play Sarah Palin in the HBO movie "Game Change."

These remarks are from a Hollywood Reporter roundtable with  Reese Witherspoon, Patricia Arquette, Amy Adams, Hilary Swank, Laura Dern and Felicity Jones. Among who. by the way, are some of my favorite actors.

During the conversation the host asks Moore why she said "yes to Sarah Palin."

Moore responds with, "It was a great story, it was a great story. And I think.."

Witherspoon: "You were amazing."

Moore: "But by yourself, just with the character I wouldn't have known..what's the story, what's the story? I mean she was charismatic, very interesting, new political figure, that we did not know much about. And Jay Roach, who Laura and I both worked with, and Danny Strong kind of...you know...they managed to create, well you know it was a true, it was a true story, but they managed to encapsulate this narrative and tell the story of her rise and fall in the Republican party. Or actually not fall, she exited, is really what she did."

On playing her Moore says, "Everybody knew her voice, everybody knew her mannerisms, and she wouldn't go away. You know she was very, very present."

Boy ain't that the truth?

And yes it was a true story.

Whenever anybody asks me if Julianne Moore exaggerated Sarah Palin for dramatic effect, I always respond with an emphatic "NO." Because in fact much of what is portrayed in Game Change were things that we had heard about her from friends and family members, but this was the first time that the public at large was getting to see the lunacy for themselves.

I think Julianne Moore did a brilliant job, which of course is why won an Emmy.

Speaking of the President, guess who won an Emmy last night?

Okay technically it was Between Two Ferns that won the Emmy, but it was the President's performance that clearly won the day. (I mean let's face it Galifianakis is a hack.)

Here is the category:

Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program: Between Two Ferns, featuring President Barack Obama (FunnyOrDie.com)

In case you have not seen it.

You know I looked, and looked, and looked, and I simply could not find the nomination for the Sarah Palin Channel anywhere.

Maybe next year Sarah.

Just keep those eyes crossed. I'm sorry...fingers crossed.

Speaking of the Emmy's Sarah Silverman also won last night for her comedy show, and being an Atheist her acceptance speech was a little different: 

“We’re all just made of molecules, and we’re hurtling through space right now.”

Nice. And accurate.

After having won a Nobel Peace prize, and a Grammy, now the President is nominated for an Emmy.

Click image to play video

Courtesy of Politicususa:  

That web based Funny or Die clip has been nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program category. 

Really, Republicans deserve the credit for this Emmy nod (which is good since they can’t credit Obama for anything except blaming him for things they did), because if they hadn’t been fear-mongering about Obamacare in the first place, the President never would have had to take such extreme measures to get the word out.

I am sure that this is yet another thing that the Republicans will say the President is doing to distract from Benghazi, or the IRS "scandal," or the border problem, of whatever is the crisis du jour. 

Jeff Daniels wins Emmy for the HBO hit the Newsroom. Hah! I told you guys!

Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter: 

Jeff Daniels was shocked to win the Emmy for his portrayal of news anchor Will McAvoy on HBO's The Newsroom, beating out the likes of Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston and Mad Men's Jon Hamm. 

His first words out of his mouth when he went onstage to accept his award: "Well, crap!" 

Moments later, a reporter mentioned that he looked surprised: "Did I?" he asked when he got to the microphone. 

Daniels, who had never been nominated for an Emmy before this year, didn't have high expectations. 

"I've been neutral about this whole thing," he admitted. "I've been nominated a bunch of times -- Google it -- enough to kind of not lean toward it, not to hope too much. You're glad to be invited to the party. There are six of us nominated, there easily could've been 10 other guys who could've been where we are. It's a really crowded time in television. It's a great time to be in television. I felt the work stood up to what the other guys were doing, but we're all doing different things. It's anybody's game. I was happy to win but surprised because it could have been anyone."

I am actually a fan of many of the nominees for this Lead Actor Emmy, including "Breaking Bad's" Bryan Cranston, "Made Men's" Jon Hamm, and  the "House of Card's" Kevin Spacey, so for me it could have been any of them and I would have been pretty happy.

However it wasn't any of them, it was Daniels. And THAT is because the Newsroom is just about the best show on television right now, as demonstrated by this iconic scene.

My hope is that it will continue to attract viewers and build a huge audience so that we can enjoy more scenes like that in the future.

Screenwriter Danny Strong states that his movie. "Game Change," was the most sympathetic, empathetic portrayal of [Sarah Palin] that exists period."

The Huffington Post invited screenwriter Danny Strong to an interview about his big new movie "The Butler." However talk soon turned to ANOTHER movie he worked on, "Game Change."

Courtesy of HuffPo:

Addressing criticism that the film received for its perceived politicized portrayal of Palin, Strong told Hill, "I disagree with the statement that half the country views 'Game Change' as a hit job on Sarah Palin. I actually think it's a very very small group of people. I think anyone who's fair-minded can go into that movie and see that the film is completely fair." 

Pointing to right wing extremists, he added, "I think there's a fringe group in both parties. And I think there's a fringe group on the Right that's quite loud and quite vocal. And I think that they make people think they represent 50 percent of the country, but I think they represent five percent of the country." 

Strong maintained, "I think that film was completely fair to Sarah Palin, and there was a lot of sentiment that it was the most sympathetic, empathetic portrayal of her that exists period."

You know considering the stuff that the movie left out, and comparing it to "The Lies of Sarah Palin,"The Rogue," and "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," I would have to agree that a movie which depicts her as an undereducated, combative narcissist, who blamed everybody around her for her own shortcomings WAS probably the most sympathetic, empathetic portrayal that exists of her.

Of course we COULD compare it to the books written by her, her family, or biographers who never looked beyond the surface, to discover WHO they were actually writing about, but really why bother?

I also agree with Strong in that there is really only a fringe group that has a problem with Game Change, and that it only represents perhaps five percent of the country, I would even suggest that the number is even lower these days.

We know the HBO movie received huge ratings, swept the awards for that year, and won its star Julianne Moore her first prime time Emmy.  So yeah, I would say it was far less than 50 percent of the American people who viewed Game Change as an unfair "hit job on Sarah Palin."

Though, to be honest, undoubtedly a number of people tuned in HOPING that it was a hit job.

I know I did.

Chris Matthews interviews "Game Change" director Jay Roach.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I have to say that I was a little disappointed in how much of the Palin mythology even Jay Roach buys into.

Her high poll numbers, her basketball skills, her success with the oil companies, are pretty much all bullshit, and yet even critics are simply not aware of how hard she worked to create this false image of herself.

Just think of how much MORE devastating the HBO movie would have been if they had known the REAL truth.

Oh well, I tried!

Game Change won four Emmys last night! Including one for Julianne Moore's amazing portrayal of a certain half term Alaskan quitter. Update!

"I feel so validated because Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down."

BEST line of the night.

Game Change went on to win a total of four Emmys.

This according to the LA Times:

If Sarah Palin was watching the 64th annual Emmy Awards on ABC, she probably wasn’t clapping. HBO’s “Game Change,” about then-Alaska Gov. turned Republican vice presidential nominee, won for best miniseries or movie, director, writing and best actress for Julianne Moore, who played Palin. 

I have to say that was AMAZING considering the competition.

By the way doesn't Ms. Moore clean up well despite having to crawl inside the skin of that lunatic?

Update: Here is a little more about last night from USA Today:

Moore went on to thank the hair and makeup artists "who transformed me physically every day for two hours" and the dialect coach "who was so patient with me." 

Backstage, reports USA TODAY's Marco della Cava, Moore was asked whether she was anticipating any response from Palin for her Emmy win. 

"I really don't know," said Moore. "It's not about Sarah but about our political process. In an election year it's all about how we pick our leaders, which is what made it interesting to do this movie." 

She also said she regrets not mentioning two other people in her acceptance speech. 

"I wanted to give a shout out to Tina Fey and Katie Couric, they were really influential in the 2008 election, and I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

You know I think it's safe to say that Ms. Moore is NO Sarah Palin fan.  And considering what she learned about the Tundra Turd to play this role who can blame her?

Now for something just a little different. An Emmy Award Show Open Thread.

Courtesy of the LA Times:

 "Game Change," "Hatfields & McCoys," "Hemingway & Gellhorn," Luther," "Sherlock" and "American Horror Story"were nominated Thursday morning for best miniseries or movie at this year's 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. 

Adapted from the 2010 book "Game Change," the HBO political drama follows former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's path during the 2008 presidential campaign. Julianne Moore stars as Palin with Ed Harris as Sen. John McCain and Woody Harrelson as campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. 

I usually only pay minimal attention to the Emmy's (I enjoy the Oscars somewhat more.) however my daughter is a huge fan and watches it pretty much every year with her friends.

However for some reason, and I simply have no idea why, THIS year's Emmy ceremony is of much more interest to me than those in the past.

No seriously I have a lot of favorites, from "American Horror Story" (one of the few made for TV horror series that is TRULY scary.), to "The Big Bang Theory" (That Sheldon Cooper character cracks me up every time!), to "Game of Thrones" (What's NOT to love?), that I am rooting for this year.

But of course the one I am the most interested in watching win a whole slew of Emmys (They are nominated for 12!) is "Game Change."

Especially since I am pretty sure that every win will be accompanied by the sound of Sarah Palin winging a can of moose stew against a refrigerator somewhere in...where is she now?

Oh that's right, Las Vegas. (Warning link goes to pro-Palin site.)

Yeah, you know I think I like the Julianne Moore version of Sarah Palin MUCH better than the real thing.

Though for that matter I also liked the Tina Fey version better.

What am I saying? I even like THIS one better than the real thing.

Well anyhow for all of you who will be watching right along with me, THIS is the place to root for your favorites, bitch about who SHOULD have won, and of course the place to gleefully mock Palin every time Game Change wins yet another trophy.

And the Emmy goes to...Sarah Palin's least favorite HBO movie of all time? Looks very likely!

Well, it looks like the odds on favorite to win the Emmy for the best movie or miniseries this year is "Game Change."

This from Gold Derby:

Eight of our Experts and eight Editors predict HBO will continue its winning ways as the telefilm "Game Change" is expected to claim Best Movie/Miniseries. 

The political drama is based on the book of the same name by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann about the 2008 presidential campaign, focusing primarily on the Republican ticket -- John McCain (Ed Harris) and Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore). 

You know I think that almost ALL of us were predicting that this movie would be a shoo in for an Emmy this year, and it looks like we were probably fairly prescient in that determination.

You know I am actually a huge fan of the American Horror Story and normally might have been cheering for IT to win this category, but honestly Game Change was an amazing movie and certainly deserves to win this year.

Besides I'm sure it's about time for a certain refrigerator in Wasilla to get replaced anyhow, don't you think?

Tina Fey on Julianne Moore's performance in Game Change. "I hope I get invited out to hand her an Emmy."

Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter:

Fey returned from 30 Rock to SNL to give a much-celebrated impression of Sarah Palin during the 2008 election, which had been the defining interpretation of the politico until Julianne Moore took on the part in HBO's much more serious TV movie, Game Change. 

"Oh my gosh, I just saw it. It was fantastic! She was so good. I thought she was good," Fey exclaimed. "I hope I get invited out to hand her an Emmy. I would like to volunteer to be a presenter in that category."

I like how Fey just ASSUMES that Moore will get the Emmy. Not even really a question in her mind.

And I have to agree!  I have now seen Game Change about four times altogether and Moore's performance never stops being remarkable. And seeing Tina Fey hand Julianne Moore that trophy would be amazing!

I swear I would embed the video of that presentation on this blog and have it play in a continuous loop, knowing that every time it did there would be yet another can ricocheting off of a refrigerator by dead lake in Wasilla.

Jon Stewart and the Daily Show win Emmy!

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" was named the best comedy or variety show in the annual Emmy Awards. Blessed with an abundance of material during a presidential election, the show beat out David Letterman's "Late Show," "Saturday Night Live," "Real Time With Bill Maher" and "The Colbert (col-BEAR') Report (rap-PORE')"

Stewart's writing staff also won for best writing in a comedy or variety series, making it a clean sweep.

As you all know I absolutely love the Daily Show, and Jon Stewart is my hero, so this is the best news ever!

I can only imagine what Stephen Colbert will do with this next week on his show. It should be fodder for some very funny bits.

Tina Fey lampoons Sarah Palin while accepting Emmy.

Accepting the award, Fey acknowledged the politico she so deftly lampooned saying, "Mrs. Palin is an inspiration to working mothers everywhere because she bailed on her job right before Fourth of July weekend. You are living my dream. Thank you, Mrs. Palin."

Tina Fey absolutely deserved to win this award, and she also deserves the gratitude of the American people for helping to illustrate just how ridiculous and bizarre Sarah Palin was to the voters.

Thank you Tina Fey.

By the way in case you have forgotten why Tina Fey deserves to win this Emmy then take a moment to watch pure comedy genius at work.

I could literally watch that all day long.

Here is Geoffrey Dunn's take on this story.

Tina Fey gets Emmy nomination for Sarah Palin impersonation!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I was going to post about this earlier but then I saw Countdown and realized I could never have done it better. Watch and enjoy.

If the Alaska bloggers were allowed to cast their votes Tina Fey would win this Emmy hands down.

She brought so much joy into the lives of those of us on "Palin watch" that it almost took away the mental anguish we suffered at having to listen to her dizzying "word salad" and the exhaustion from the sleepless nights we endured as we attempted to keep up with the potpourri of lies that were constantly spilling from her mouth.

I said "almost".

Update: It took me awhile but I finally found my favorite Sarah Palin skits featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to embed.





God I love these!

So which word was FOX protecting us from, "Goddamn" or "War"?

Accepting her Emmy on Sunday night for lead actress in a drama series ("Brothers and Sisters"), Field stumbled halfway through, lost her train of thought, screeched at the audience to stop applauding so she could finish talking -- and then was bleeped by Fox censors as she stammered through an anti-war rant.

"And, let's face it, if the mothers ruled the war, there would be no (expletive) wars in the first place," Field said, but Fox cut away for much of her comment.

What was bleeped was the phrase "goddamn wars". The above partial quote is inaccurate, as the sound went off and the camera angle was changed after she said "there would be no go..", so no one in the American television audience would have known what she was saying if not for the print media.

Personally I don't think that any of it deserved to be bleeped. Her opinion about war is the one that is shared by the majority of Americans, and as for the "goddamn", well I have heard ministers say that.