As Alanis Morissette once did not say, “Isn’t it chyronic?” This year’s Emmys broadcast has been marked by a genius technological innovation. No, it is most certainly not live Peacock streaming; it’s the chyrons running along the bottom of the screen as award winners deliver their acceptance speeches. These brilliant little Microsoft PowerPoint graphics give a small digestible rundown of all the loved ones and managers each award winner would like to thank, lest they rush to squeeze them all in in a race against the orchestra or, worse, forget them altogether in the heat of the moment.
This system frees up space for speeches to be more interesting, as seen in Sheryl Lee Ralph’s musical interpolation of the acceptance-speech form. It also gives winners a fighting chance of getting a word in edgewise against the vigilance and diligence of DJ Zedd and his drops. More time for jokes and singing! More opportunities for thankees to take screengrabs of their names on national TV to cherish forever! Our first prediction for Emmys 2023? Whoever came up with this.
