The Morning: The Emmys are tomorrow

A chance to take stock of how we spend our screen time.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 14, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. On the eve of the Emmy Awards, it's worth taking a look at what we're actually watching. María Jesús Contreras Divided attention The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards are tomorrow, and if it feels too soon for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to be throwing another one of these celebrations, that's because it is. It was a mere eight months ago that "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" swept most of the major categories of the 75th Emmys. That ceremony was postponed four months because of Hollywood's labor disputes, which leaves us with two Emmy ceremonies in one year. On the one hand, great — more to celebrate. On the other, even those of us who love to lose ourselves in the glitz and schmaltz of awards shows could use another minute to process the end of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," to get caught up on "Reservation Dogs," to miss Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri a little, as charming as they may be. "What even is television anymore?" my colleague Alex asked me this morning, a question that seems almost impossible to answer. I'm not 100 percent caught up on all the shows nominated for these Emmys, but that's not because I haven't been spending unhealthy amounts of time watching things on screens. What does it mean is that I haven't found 10 hours to watch the first season of "Shogun," by all accounts a very good series that I would like very much, but I have just in the past week spent at least that much time consuming an incoherent jumble consisting of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce canoodling at the U.S. Open, Donald Trump's remarks at the Economic Club of New York, a "Gladiator"-themed Pepsi ad, plus countless movie trailers, Peloton workouts, cooking demos, fabric steamer reviews and oh god I could go on. I'm watching stuff all the time, but very little of it leaves a mark. It's all passive time spent with screens, ingesting information. It requires little of me intellectually, emotionally, spiritually. Just because something uses up my attention doesn't mean I'm actually paying attention to it. A recent story in The Atlantic examined how we've abandoned meals for snacks. I see the same trend in my culture consumption: I'm noshing on bits of content all the time, but seldom sitting down for a full meal. When I look over the list of the Emmy nominees, the category I am most excited about is the one honoring writing for a variety special. There are five nominees, four of which are comedy performances that I adored. Two, Alex Edelman's "Just for Us" and Jacqueline Novak's "Get on Your Knees," I saw when they were performed live, in February and March of 2022, as Covid restrictions were easing and attending a show in person still felt strange and new. I was nearly delirious with excitement, over how smart and dynamic the comedians were, how electric it felt to be in an audience with other spectators. Those evenings are, in my memory, perfect: I remember arriving at the theater, finding my seat, turning off my phone for the duration of the show, going out afterward and chatting excitedly about what we'd just seen. I don't want to lose that appetite for full meals, for entertainment that engages my mind and heart and requires my physical presence. Streaming services invite one to graze on shows, to watch a few minutes between scrolling Instagram and working on an email. I remember, in the mid-'90s, going over to my friends' house each week for NBC's Thursday night Must-See TV lineup of "Friends," "Seinfeld" and "ER." Those evenings are still so vivid — we would all bring knitting projects to work on while we watched. It seems almost quaint now to invite people over to watch an episode of a streaming show, to create a time-restricted event out of the 24/7 banquet of watchable content. It's so much easier to just snatch little bites where we can. But I'm interested in trying it, in adding some formality, some inconvenience to my cultural diet in the hopes of returning some meaning and magic to the never-ending binge. For more The Times's full coverage of the Emmy Awards. Where to stream the nominees. More on Alex Edelman's and Jacqueline Novak's specials. "What we have now is a profusion of well-cast, sleekly produced competence." Our critic James Poniewozik on "The Comfortable Problem of Mid TV." THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film James Earl Jones Jesse Dittmar for The Washington Post via Getty Images The actor James Earl Jones, who voiced Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and Mufasa in "The Lion King," died at 93. See his life in pictures, and read about some of his greatest roles. "My Old Ass," about an 18-year-old who meets her 39-year-old self (played by Aubrey Plaza) during a drug trip, is one of nine movies Times critics are talking about this week. The disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery. He has been held at Rikers Island since April. Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II," out in November, features the Colosseum filled with water and predators. The Times spoke with Scott and the movie's production designer. Television Joan Vassos, a 61-year-old grandmother of three, is the star of "The Golden Bachelorette" on ABC. "I know that it's a weird way to meet somebody," she told The Times. Three new cast members will join "Saturday Night Live" for its 50th season, NBC said. Gillian Anderson plays a sex therapist on the Netflix dramedy "Sex Education." In real life, she's an advocate for women's sexual health and has written a book about fantasies. Music Kendrick Lamar will headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" was not nominated for a Country Music Award. The album had stirred debate about the historical role of African Americans in the genre. Readers shared their songs of the summer, including some by Chappell Roan and the Cranberries. Listen to the playlist. A singer from the band Danity Kane sued Sean Combs, known as Diddy, accusing him of threatening and groping her. Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman and Nirvana drummer, revealed on Instagram that he had fathered a child outside his marriage. Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to driving while impaired after his June arrest in the Hamptons. He agreed to pay a $500 fine and serve 25 hours of community service. Other Culture Stories Jo Foster, center, as Oliver in "Why Am I So Single?" Matt Crockett "Why Am I So Single," a new musical from the duo behind the Broadway hit "Six," is relatable and fun, but lacks narrative drive, our critic writes. Glenn Lowry will step down as the Museum of Modern Art's director next year, after 30 years in the role. Gabriela Ortiz is Carnegie Hall's composer in residence this season. She has spent her career channeling the sounds and sensibilities of Latin America. A PETA activist confronted Pharrell Williams, whose Louis Vuitton collection incorporated fur. "Yes, you're right," Williams said, adding that he had "plans to change things." THE LATEST NEWS 2024 Election President Biden at the White House yesterday. Rod Lamkey Jr. for The New York Times President Biden angrily denounced Donald Trump's false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating household pets. "This has to stop," Biden said. Trump defended Laura Loomer, a far-right activist he's traveled with recently, but claimed he didn't know she'd called the Sept. 11 attacks an "inside job." Trump allies including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lindsey Graham have criticized her. Biden is likely to delay his final decision on whether to block the sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company until after the election. Pope Francis said that Trump, who opposes migrants, and Kamala Harris, who supports abortion rights, are both "against life." Other Big Stories The U.S., Canada and Britain accused RT, Russia's global television network, of working as an arm of Russian intelligence and placed new economic sanctions on it. Boar's Head will shut down a Virginia deli meat plant linked to a deadly listeria outbreak. The company identified liverwurst processing as the source. Jessica Ramos, a state senator from Queens, became the latest candidate to say she would run against Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration faces multiple investigations. Readers of The Morning: Don't miss out on a full year of savings. From in-depth coverage of Decision 2024 to unlimited news and analysis, Games, Cooking, The Athletic and more, subscribe now for only $1 a week for your first year. CULTURE CALENDAR By Desiree Ibekwe 🎸 "143" by Katy Perry (Friday): Perry — once pop music's center of gravity — has had a bumpy comeback. Critics and fans panned her new album's first single, "Woman's World," for peddling outdated girl-boss feminism. (Lyrics: "It's a woman's world and you're lucky to be livin' in it / You better celebrate / 'Cause, baby, we ain't goin' away.") And Rolling Stone revealed that Perry had worked on the album with the producer Dr. Luke, who was sued years ago over accusations of abuse and sexual assault. This album is a source of curiosity, not just for the music but for the public's response to it. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Craig Lee for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Lemon Sweet Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting Do the words lemon sweet rolls with cream cheese frosting make you a little weak in the knees? Yossy Arefi's cozy recipe is a fresh, citrusy take on the usual cinnamon rolls, but made for lemon-heads like me. Her zest-spiked filling infuses a spiraled, buttermilk-enriched bread dough scented with cardamom. Yeasty, tender and slathered with a tangy cream cheese icing, it's just the thing to serve at a special breakfast or brunch when you want something rich and satisfying, but still brightly flavored. REAL ESTATE Jennifer Kaufmann and Josh Kaufmann in Chicago.  Taylor Glascock for The New York Times The Hunt: A couple with a budget of around $650,000 wanted a house in Chicago for their growing family. Which home did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $1.4 million: An 1890 Queen Anne Revival house in Salt Lake City; a brick townhouse in Savannah, Ga.; or a recently renovated 1938 Spanish-style house in Albany, Calif. LIVING A summer evening in the Cours Julien neighborhood. France Keyser for The New York Times France: Marseilles is a mosaic of the people and history that shape it. Its pizza reflects that rich culture. In the garden: Native landscapes can be hard to plant. Here's some help. Toteme: This Swedish fashion label has a no-nonsense, "pragmatic" look — and a lot of fans in New York. Modern Love: Friends for 16 years. Lovers for one night. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER No, you probably don't need a new phone Every year, tech companies release new smartphones with appealing but nominal upgrades, enticing you to buy a fancier model of the thing you already own. Our advice? If you properly care for your phone, you don't need to replace it every year — or even every other year. No judgment if you want a shiny new device. But if you're looking to save a few bucks and reduce electronic waste, Wirecutter's experts suggest a few small hacks that can make a big difference in making your phone last longer. Start by prioritizing your phone's battery health: Avoid extreme temperatures, and stop charging it to 100 percent. — Roderick Scott GAME OF THE WEEK C.J. Stroud and the Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts in the season opener. Zach Bolinger/Associated Press Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans, N.F.L.: The Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had one of the best rookie seasons in N.F.L. history last year. This week, he faces football's next great hope: Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the draft. Stroud led his team to the playoffs last year, and the Texans offense looks even better now — some believe they could be Super Bowl contenders, Zak Keefer writes in The Athletic. Meanwhile, with Williams still getting used to the pros, the Bears' best hope is their impressive defense, which outscored the offense in Week 1. Sunday at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on NBC For more: NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was chickadee. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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