Seth Rogen attended the Emmys on Sunday night. His participation was notable for a few reasons. The first was how different he looked, at least to me. Heather from The Fug Girls suggested he was morphing into Josh Harnett, and I saw her point. He looked fantastic in an orange jacket with taupe shirt and bow-tie combination and brown slacks. But he was also sporting a very manicured look, which is a departure for him. The second reason Seth stood out is because he adamantly addressed the lack pandemic considerations of the event space. While Ken Jeong had that terrible vaccine card bit that tanked when he announced his category, Seth’s comments appeared unrehearsed. He seemed upset by the lack of precautions being taken. Seth walked on stage and commented on the venue being fully enclosed rather than open air and no social distancing. Other than his usually chuckle, he deadpanned his delivery, leaving most of us to wonder if he was joking or was it genuine criticism.
If the Emmys were designed to transport viewers from the pandemic for a few carefree hours, Seth Rogen wasn’t playing along.
The comedic writer and actor, making the night’s first awards presentation, questioned whether an event that touted its COVID-19 protocols was living up to its promises.
Before presenting the award for best supporting actress in a comedy series to winner “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, Rogen offered up some jokes, but they sounded more like a complaint.
“They said this was outdoors. It’s not. They lied to us. We’re in a hermetically sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this,” Rogen deadpanned to the audience gathered in what Emmys organizers have described as “a fully air-conditioned tent (that) will allow for more socially-distanced audience seating.”
He took issue with the guest spacing – “There is way too many of us in this little room” – but he saved his biggest complaint for the tent’s ceiling.
“It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided,” he cracked, clearly disagreeing with the decision on the Emmy structure.
For those watching, both DJ Reggie White and host Cedric the Entertainer tried to correct the perception following Seth’s turn at the mic. They each name-checked Seth and cited the event’s safety protocols. Reggie told the audience they were, “following all the health and safety guidelines that some really smart people asked us to do to keep us safe from COVID.” And Cedric talked about how everyone attending had to be vaccinated, turning it into a bit by ranking the vaccines in order of how “bougie” they were. I believe Seth was being sincere. He made his comments funny, but he was upset. And I think the fact that both Reggie and Cedric were told to comment to the contrary confirms that. I’m not looking to make trouble, but if Seth was told he would be in a well-spaced, open-air environment and showed up to what we saw, I could see why he would be angry.
Last reason Seth’s appearance as noteworthy was he that presented Hannah Waddingham with her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series statue. Only he announced the winner as “Hannah Waddington.” Hannah was so excited, she didn’t even know about the blunder until she reached the press room and they informed her. Hannah didn’t dwell on it, she simply said she’ll, “have to call him Seth Ragin.” Her co-star Brett Goldstein, however, morphed into Roy Kent and declared, “He’s dead.” Which is why we must always give the Ted Lasso cast awards. They’re just plain entertaining at everything.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Yeah, that’s not cool – all well and great that they followed COVID protocols (for indoor events likely), but don’t say it’s an outdoor event when it’s in a closed, air-conditioned tent. That’s pulling a switcheroo. People have a right to know what they’re signing up for.
Question tho – what’s the liability of an event if someone *does* get covid and they promised one set of safety measures but followed another?
The more popular, touristy restaurants in my popular, touristy area created “outdoor seating” but installing fully-walled event tents on their lawns. Like, no, if it has a ceiling and walls it is A ROOM.
So Cedric, exactly what precautions were taken other than the vaccine mandate, which I’m not even 100% sure I believe? No masks, social distancing or outdoor air circulation seemed present.
They also had to test negative in the 72 hours before the event. Not many events require both vaccination and negative tests. They should’ve left it open air too though.
I have a friend who is a Covid protocol officer on productions. Covid protocols are no joke. While I agree that they were all to close together for my liking, I’m sure there was a lot happening behind the scenes.
He has really cleaned up his look and I absolutely love his emmys fashion! Very unique but still suits him. I would have been mad too. Several restaurants in our area tout outdoor seating but you get there and it’s one of those completely enclosed unventilated tents which completely undermine the whole purpose of outdoors.
Yes i love that men seem to be given more wiggle room from stylists for their unique style as opposed to the same black tux on all of them
They worked around the safety guidelines like the restaurants who put up those hermetically sealed tents to comply to the law. I bet they high fived getting around the regulations…….. we are going to stay in this pandemic which will move to being an endemic which everyone will complain about Because of idiot moves like this. Not cool at all
The Los Angeles Board of Health says that it reviewed and approved the event plans beforehand.
Tents are considered “outdoors,” same as the entrance to the Met Gala, same as dozens of large concert tents across the country.
So Seth was right.
Saying you are following protocols long after it’s been made clear that the protocols are the absolute bare minimum and that money has been prioritized over people’s safety is complete bullshit. I mean, the mere thought than an enclosed tent is safer than an indoor arena is a complete joke.
These are still super spreader events. The difference this time being that vaccinated people will fare better than the unvaccinated who catch Covid (whether unvaccinated by choice, by actual medical exemption, or because you are under the age of 12).
They also had to test negative in the three days before the event. Certainly not foolproof, but not likely to be a super spreader, IMO. I think places need to reduce the testing period to 48 hours given Delta’s shorter incubation period though.
I’m guessing the pre and after parties will be the ones that spread it. That’s when people will be drinking heavily, mingling, speaking loudly, laughing, etc.
It looks like an event hall or a conference room in a hotel. I had no idea it was a ‘tent outside’ until I read that. And holy moly, that is a lot of maskless people close together. I would be pissed too. Are they not allowed to put on masks?
I kind of feel this energy. I’ve been to more than one event (including a wedding) that was promised to be following covid safety and when we got there it was clearrrrrly not. It was frustrating and scary. The case of the wedding, my only cousin was getting married and we flew in for the event so it’s not like we could just nope out. I’d be really mad if I was him too. An enclosed tent is NOT the same as open air.
I have a friend that had the same thing. Was told everyone was going to be wearing masks at the destination (not like in another country but far enough where they couldn’t just turn around and go home) wedding and when they got there half the people weren’t and there was no one enforcing it. A ton of people then went on to get covid, including the grandparents who ended up in the hospital.
I was too.
Yeah it seems illogical. I’d be pissed like Seth. You could have just had fewer people inside a large theater space than cramming them in an enclosed tent on the roof of said theater space. Are they afraid to truly do an outdoor event bc of outdoor sounds? Am confused by this. How cool would it be to see an event like this with people sitting next to actual views of the city. Is it the soundS? The budget? How is that these events celebrating so-called creative people are so uncreative?
I’m guessing lighting and inability to control outside sounds like planes, sirens, etc
I am glad he spoke up. I would have been pissed too. This is people’s lives they are messing with.
Good for Seth for speaking up – even if it meets the minimum requirements, an air-conditioned, enclosed tent isn’t what was promised. Maybe I’m just tired of hearing about businesses tout their “rigourous” sanitizing protocols and how many HEPA filters they bought, but it all seems like so much theatre to me.
We need more people like Seth Rogan.
I think he’s a true mensch.
Negative test three days before isn’t much, you can pop positive 2 days later . They should have followed with a rapid test at the event.
Today was my third visit to physical client offices since March 2020 and wow. Granted it wasn’t exactly busy but I was the only one wearing a mask (I took it off when we sat down – far apart in a large meeting room but no open windows) and after one guy asked me if I was shaking hands. NOPE.
I just read that now only 20% of people in the UK are wearing masks on public transport, even those networks that are still mandating it. It all changed when the government changed the rules and now just ‘suggests’ wearing masks when you’re out and about. Thanks Boris.
I get that people are fed up with restrictions bit come on, the pandemic is still raging and there are such simple things that we can do to help ourselves stay safe.
I am here for New Seth!
Yeah, something CHANGED with him at some point. I feel like he realized people interpret a laid-back, “easygoing bro” attitude as complicity with their BS, so he’s made a pact with himself to call out BS when he sees it?? He rarely misses, too. (Unless you mean VISUALLY New Seth? That, too. He’s really looking tidy!)
Good for him. He is a good follow on Twitter and he seems as if he has been taking pandemic precautions very seriously throughout this nightmare. I believe him when he says he wouldn’t have come if he knew it would be like that.
Seth is looking very attractive 🔥
I totally would