Emmys: After-Thoughts

Congratulations to this year’s Emmy Winners!

Dearbhla Walsh, Director
Maria Jacquemetton, Supervising Producer
Lisa Albert, Supervising Producer
Toni Collette, as Tara Gregson
Glenn Close, as Patty Hewes
Jessica Lange, as Big Edie
Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Executive Producer
Rachael Horovitz, Executive Producer
Anne Pivcevic, Executive Producer
Rebecca Eaton, Executive Producer
Lisa Osborne, Producer
Elise Doganieri, Co-Executive Producer
Amy Nabseth Chacon, Co-Executive Producer
Giselle Parets, Senior Producer
Kristin Chenoweth, as Olive Snook
Cherry Jones, as President Allison Taylor
Shohreh Aghdashloo, as Sajida
Jennifer Flanz, Supervising Producer
Jill Katz, Producer
Kater Gordon, Writer
Rachel Axler, Writer

While I love that so many women won for their roles as producers, I found the overall Emmy nominations problematic. I took a close look at the nominees this year and calculated the number of men nominated in each category versus the number of women nominated. Some of the more disturbing discrepancies occur here:

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance: 100% men

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: 67% men, 33% women

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: 100% men

Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series: 100% men

Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score): 83% Men, 17% women

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: 100% men

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program: 71% men, 29% women

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: 100% men

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: 70% men, 30% women

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special: 93% men, 7% women

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: 86% men, 14% women

I can’t say I’m surprised by the number of men nominated in these categories versus the number of women nominated. But I still find it disturbing. Clearly, men dominate in positions such as Directing and Writing—and I didn’t even bother to list categories like Cinematography, Sound Mixing, and Stunt Coordination—but what’s more disturbing is looking at the categories where the female nominees far surpass the men:

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series

Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special

Outstanding Costumes for a Series

Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)

Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic)

Outstanding Nonfiction Special

I don’t particularly think there’s anything at all problematic about women working in the fields of Casting, Costume Design, Hairstyling, and Makeup. But these roles are part of the technical supporting cast, and I fear women are currently relegated to these positions. We need more women behind the cameras, in the directors’ chairs, and in charge of scripts.

Note: You can see how I came up with the percentages by downloading the PDF. Sidenote: when I figure out how to link to the PDF, I’ll be sure to post it here.