Embed from Getty Images
Earlier this week, Hecate covered the story about Seth Rogen going off script at the Emmys when he was presenting Supporting Actress in a Comedy. He opened by criticizing the setup at the venue, which was supposed to be open air. Vaccinations were required to attend the Emmys and attendance was limited, although it was hard to tell as a viewer. Rogen said, in part, “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.” At first it seemed like a bit, but when host Cedric The Entertainer and DJ Reggie Watts claimed that the Emmys were covid-safe, it was clear that Seth really was speaking out of turn. Emmy producers have responded to Seth and you can tell by how defensive they are that he struck a nerve. This story came out earlier in the week but People just picked it up so I’m learning about it now. (I need to read the trades more, I know.)
Seth Rogen made quite a stir on Sunday during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, and the event’s producers are speaking out.
According to Emmy Awards producer Ian Stewart, Rogen went off-script during his monologue as presenter for the first award of the night. The 39-year-old joked about the hundreds of industry professionals crowded into a large tent for the evening, alluding that it was unsafe in terms of COVID-19 safety protocols.
On Monday, Stewart and fellow executive producer Reginald Hudlin responded to the remarks in an interview with Variety.
“We have worked for months and months to make that a safe space,” Stewart told the publication. “We’ve worked with all the health authorities. We were signed off by LA County, we came up with a plan with them. Those tables were distanced. Everyone was vaccinated. Everyone was negative tested in that audience. And also he had rehearsed.”
“So he knew exactly what it was. So, I just felt it was an unfortunate misdirect from him,” Stewart continued. “Because it wasn’t just our decision. This is the health authorities’ decision as well, to say that it’s a completely safe environment if you do all those things.”
Stewart added that Rogen’s comments “made three months of very hard work and many, many discussions to get it absolutely right feel a little bit wasted, really.”
“And then we just sort of played catch up,” he added, noting that he and his team tried to ensure that Emmys host Cedric the Entertainer and the night’s DJ, Reggie Watts, explained to viewers exactly how the event, the tent and all attendees were in proper COVID compliance.
Stewart said they “wanted the audience to know how safe it was in there,” adding: “We work in this industry, we’re desperately aware of COVID. I’ve done 50 productions nearly in COVID and not have people get sick. So, it’s deeply frustrating.”
“We’ve worked for months and months” to do everything except make the tent open on the sides, ask attendees to wear masks except when presenting or limit the crowd size. Maybe it was safe in there, but those kind of awards shows, with famous people crowded together inside maskless, give the impression that it’s OK for the rest of us to do that when it is very much not. I’m team Rogen on this and a lot of other things he speaks out about. I’m definitely a fan of his and I appreciate that he did this. The Emmy producer was entirely too defensive. We did not need large awards shows at this point in the pandemic.
Also Rogen looks hot now. I like this new look.
Good for him! That’s funny because a lot of people were saying it was scripted and I was like “No, he genuinely seems out of sorts about that”. Would you look at that!
I was so thrilled when Seth spoke out about this because I was horrified when I saw their setup. It was very much not COVID-safe. It was an “outdoor” workaround so they technically didn’t need to require masks, but in reality, it was a tiny enclosed tent with air conditioning. The tables were BARELY spaced, and no one wore masks! Setting a horrible example. Even if everyone is vaccinated, we still need to be taking precautions.
Yeah, this type of crowded, unmasked, unventilated event is what makes all the anti-maskers say “Hollywood people are hypocrites” and double down even more on not following public health precautions.
And quite frankly, so what if they worked with the health department to make sure they could get the approvals they needed to host the show?? The worst part of it to me is if they told people, especially presenters, that it would be outside, and then they get there, and it actually isn’t. At that point, they don’t feel like they can leave. They’re already obligated. So you lied to them. And then they have to make a choice between attending a large, unmasked event in a sealed space, or risk a hit to their professional reputation if they walk out.
I’m glad Seth was brave enough to speak out (compared to the others who just followed the company line). Bravo to him!
Now if he’d speak out against men (*cough, James Franco, cough*) assaulting women.
We are still mandated to wear masks here in Canada when indoors. We have a vaccination rate of 85% yet our borders are closed to the US!?
This need for the stars to glorify themselves with silly trophies especially during these times is absolutely ridiculous. Good for Seth!
Another Canadian here, and though I didn’t watch the show I was really surprised to hear these details. I mean, what were they thinking? (Oh wait, nvm, I know what they were thinking.) I can’t blame Rogen for speaking out, I probably would have been tempted to walk out altogether.
Did you mean “yet US borders are closed to you (Canadians)”? Because I totally get why you’d close the border, lol, but as far as I know, your border is open. I do, indeed, NOT get why we close the border to you.
Yes indeed that’s what I meant – but didn’t word it properly due to frustration and confusion as to why…lol
Im with Seth on this – watching awards shows with people not masked, indoors and no physical distancing is such a bad idea during a global pandemic where too many assholes are just looking for new excuses not to follow proper protocols….
Yeah if you feel that your health and your safety is threatened in any environment, never mind a work environment you say something. This matters, it’s not an ‘I disagree with the decor’ type issue.
I love Seth rogen
They may have hard for months and months but they did it wrong. The show should have been outdoors.
Yeah I’m sick of organizations/businesses hiding behind “well it’s allowed by the city/state” or “it’s not prohibited by the city/state” as an excuse for choosing not to follow CDC guidelines. Every business is like blah blah blah we care about ensuring a safe environment blah blah we value your business or whatever, but due to this loophole in the local ordinance 7548.5 we don’t require masks and aren’t distancing anyone inside.
Good for him.
I didn’t watch this year so had no idea about this. good for him for speaking up, because it’s terribly hypocritical to proclaim you’re following covid guidelines when you demonstrably are not. A closed tent is such a ridiculous loophole to the open air/outside guideline. I remember when that first started happening, and it was restaurants that had been forced to close or be at severely reduced capacity early on in the pandemic but decided that creating a sealed tent in their patio areas constituted “outside” seating and opened at capacity there. Restaurants. Where people don’t wear masks because they need to eat. It was horrifying.
So much this— “it’s terribly hypocritical to proclaim you’re following covid guidelines when you demonstrably are not”. He may be calling out the problem but he’s also part of the problem, the celeb ecosystem.
The producers, with their oversensitive denials and attempts to paint Rogen as overreacting (or worse, a liar), are the hypocrites in this equation.
Can the producers absolutely guarantee all these celebrities with lots of money and connections are indeed vaccinated and tested? Especially when every day another ‘terrified’ one announces on social media that they will not be ‘forced’ to give up their ‘freedumb and take the vaccine’.
And what about the image they are sharing of a room full of mask less, very close, loudly laughing, cheering, people? Do as the CDC says you peasants, not as the rich, more important people do. Hmm, I wonder why people don’t watch award shows anymore…
I think it is GREAT that he spoke out! This is people’s lives that are being messed with!
If the Producers are mad…they should be mad at themselves for pushing a false narrative when ALL they had to do was open the tent flaps…have wind turbine fans keeping a serious air flow…and have folks wear masks when not presenting…Because THAT should be our NEW normal…all I could think of watching that show…was ONE word….
Variants…..
Yes, Lala! It doesn’t cost a thing to open the tent flaps and request that people wear their masks when not onstage. I get that the viewing audience at home “doesn’t want to be reminded of the pandemic” but, trust, there’s nothing the Emmys can do that will make us forget about it, either.
What’s really upsetting is that Seth seems to be the only one speaking up about this. So everyone else at the award show was perfectly fine with that potentially super spreader event?
Seth Rogan: 1
Greedy producers: 0
Team Rogen, always.
Also, loved his whole look.
Age is doing him well as it does most men. Lucky b@stards.
I say good for him for speaking up. These award shows are so unnecessary right now. People need to stop pretending this pandemic is over. It’s nowhere near over. Behave, do your part, and let’s get this over with.
I like Seth, but it’s WaddingHAM, not WaddingTON you dolt.
It doesn’t matter how those producers try to spin reality, the facts are that this was essentially an indoor event with no masks, using a testing method that is proven not to catch Covid a hefty percentage of the time. It doesn’t matter if anyone signed off on this nonsense or not, anyone with half a brain knows this wasn’t safe. And no matter they spin it, this won’t stop Covid from infecting people. The producers should be blackballed in the industry for so carelessly putting lives in danger. Beyond disgusted with them. How dare they then try to assign blame to the person who highlighted the issues with their set up? And I fully support Seth Rogan for speaking up and being the voice of reason.
I totally agree with Seth and a lot of what he says. The guy just makes sense! Open up some flaps. Wear masks when you’re not eating, drinking, or on stage. After watching him in The Long Shot, I find him insanely attractive. Never in a million years thought I’d say that.
And now for the Barbara Streisand effect. The producer should have kept his mouth shut and it would have been forgotten. I’m willing to bet that Seth will be asked about it now in future interviews.
“Maybe it was safe in there, but those kind of awards shows, with famous people crowded together inside maskless, give the impression that it’s OK for the rest of us to do that when it is very much not.”
THIS X 1,000.
They can rather sniffily point out that Rogen supposedly knew better because “rehearsals” but rehearsals aren’t “full house” crowds. He got a look at the size of the crowd, how closely they were packed in there, and thought holy crap, that’s too many people in this space!
And he was right.
Good! Be mad! Good for Seth, wish more celebs would make their mind like this. State what has not been stated.
Truth to power
Good for him! It needed to be said, and he said it truthfully and directly.
Vaccines reduce the risk of infection, symotoms, duration, and transmissibility WAY enough that that requirement coupled with negative test results is honestly the best life is going to get.