Anyone else disgusted by extended Emmys tribute to Cory Monteith?

Klugman's son agrees with you.

from Klugman's son Adam


"I think it's criminal," said Adam Klugman in an interview with The Associated Press. "My dad was at the inception of television and helped build it in the early days."

"It's an insult and it really seems typical of this youth-centric culture that has an extremely short attention span and panders to only a very narrow demographic" of young adults, Adam Klugman said.

In a statement, Emmy executive producer Ken Ehrlich explained his reasoning — a position that awards organizers often find themselves in when stars are absent from memorial segments.

"To a younger generation, Cory Monteith's portrayal of Finn Hudson (on 'Glee') was highly admired, and the producers felt that he should be included along with the four other individuals we have singled out," Ehrlich said.

For Adam Klugman, it's an indefensible move. His father's career spanned more than five decades and included lead-actor Emmys for acclaimed series "The Defenders" in 1961 and "The Odd Couple" in 1971 and '73. He died last December at age 90.

"What about the people who should be introduced to somebody like my father?" he said. "I don't mean to say anything disparaging about Cory, but he was a kid who had won no Emmys and it was a self-induced tragedy."


Sheldon:"Was the starfish wearing boxer shorts? Because you might have been watching Nickelodeon."

Why are they singling out a few individuals anyway? Just have everyone in one "In Memoriam" together, as a way of tactfully overlooking the fact that some personalities had far more impressive careers and contributed
much more to the TV industry than (ahem) some others.

Adam Klugman is right in suggesting that a separate tribute to Monteith is
borderline "criminal." It's not simply that his father had a lifetime of great
TV work and Monteith didn't. It has more to do with the idea of singling out
for "admiration by young fans" someone who was a heroin addict. It's a shame
that he passed away, but he's not an object of admiration, but of pity. I
happen to live in New Jersey, where flags flew at half-staff for Whitney Houston
after she overdosed. People who do this are sad, but not heroes.


I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

They're doing both. Which really makes no sense. Plus every year they leave someone of notice out. I don't think it matters how someone died or their age but Klugman's son has a point when it comes to body of work. Not honoring him is criminal when you think about the fact that Monteith will get the honor. I seriously doubt if Monteith would have been singled out if he had been on a low rated show on the WB vs 'Glee' on Fox.

TCM does the best 'In Memoriam ' segments every year.

Sheldon:"Was the starfish wearing boxer shorts? Because you might have been watching Nickelodeon."

Cory was featured to get ratings. One of the exec producers admitted it in an interview.

But Ehrlich said honoring Monteith is a way to reach younger viewers.

http://thejjb.com/topic/732706/Emmy-Awards-executive-producer-defends- picks-memorial-tribu#.Uj-z-38UEf0

God forbid they try to get ratings by putting on a good show, or something.

But even that is suspect. Had that younger actor been one of the cast of 'One Tree Hill' when it was still on he would not have been honored. It's more of the fact that he was on 'Glee'.

They honored Liberace in a song tribute by Elton John. The man's been dead 25 years!

Sheldon:"Was the starfish wearing boxer shorts? Because you might have been watching Nickelodeon."

Yes. I mean, I don´t usually care much and I just watch the show but I think to pay a tribute to a guy who did nothing special except Glee (and I quit watching after one season...), AND overdosed, was not right. I am not going to be a moralist by saying "it gives kids an example that you can take drugs and still be famous" but I will say the more obvious thing. He had only himself to blame for his death, while people who lived many years and had decades of real achievements behind them, were forgotten. I guess it was some sort of a "targeting young audience" thing but really, to put him and James Gandolfini next to each other in those tributes was disrespectful not only to Gandolfini, but to others as well.

I agree about TCM, IMO the classiest memorial tributes.