I spent Saturday night watching the First Annual Streamy Awards and, yes okay yes, tweeting about it. Shut up. Until a better platform for my thoughts about cats, yoga, and diet soda ramps up, I’m sticking with it. Deal, okay?
The Streamys, which I blogged about here, were created to recognize
outstanding achievement for shows produced originally for broadband distribution. Nominations in 24 categories are reviewed by members of the International Academy of Web Television, an independent organization whose membership is comprised of leaders in the field of web television, web video and the digital entertainment industry. International Academy of Web Television
The Streamys were originally slated to begin at 7:30 PST but there were, er, some problems. The audio on the red carpet and inside the auditorium was live beginning at 6pm and
MUST STOP TO INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST BECAUSE WE JUST HAD AN EARTHQUAKE IN SAN FRANCISCO
We will now resume regular blogcasting.
So…the mics were hot and none of the announcers or tech people or ANYONE knew this and for a good two hours anyone waiting for the Streamys live feed were gifted with mic tests (ONE TWO SIBILANCE) and journalists on the red carpet wondering who was important and who wasn’t and some old guy telling the audience members to not use their phones while onstage, not even to Twitter. BLASPHEMER. The show felt a bit like watching a high school production of Oklahoma, only the actors were from Julliard but the techies and stage manager were from remedial English. SORRY STREAMYS I STILL LOVE YOU.
However, all of this was pretty endearing for a DIY internet awards show and it was fun to witness and heckle the hiccups along with fellow twitterers who were doing the same. The excitement on the internet surrounding the show was palpable and with ninety percent of the audience at the awards tweeting and blogging the event from their seats, it truly felt communal and boundary breaking.
I won’t go into a whole boring recap of the show, but I will say that The Guild and Dr Horrible, to no one’s surprise, ran away with most of the Streamys (with a nod towards The Shatner Project) and Felicia Day, Joss Whedon (who was billed by the show as “Josh Wheadon” for god’s sake people was this your first day on the interjob?), Sandeep Parikh and Neil Patrick Harris were the most charming and honestly funny of anyone onstage.
Now before you go and cry elitism in regards to The Guild and the Whedon Empire monopolizing the wins, I think it’s fair to say that the acting, writing, and production values combined were what made those shows the best and I know I know “BUT THEY HAD THE FUNDING AND A BUILT IN AUDIENCE” you say. Well,yes and no.
Yes to the built in fan base. Whedon fans are tenacious and viral on the internet, I’ll give you that, but the first two episodes of The Guild were funded by Felicia Day (who is by no means wealthy) and the rest of the first season was paid for by Guild fans through paypal donations. GRASSROOTS people. So while Dr Horrible and the Guild had a leg up fanwise, they were also just plain GOOD. I’ve watched a lot of web shows over the past few months and they generally range from terrible to not so terrible. What the Streamys have done, besides garner legitimate media attention (Eonline, the LA Times Blog, and Access Hollywood online to name a few) is set the bar for web television. The internets are growing up and I’m actually excited, now that they’ve got something to strive for, to see what happens next*.
*Please let it have something to do with cats and Daniel Craig. Thank you.
*And leggings.
I can grasp some of the unease about some of the Dr. Horrible wins, since it was made with the help of personal and professional connections of Joss’. But then even he copped to that unease, so it’s not like anyone was hiding the oddity of it.
But as for The Guild, you’re quite right. And it’s important to note that while Dr. Horrible won the audience choice award, which is the only thing the general Internet-using public got to vote on, the actual Comedy Web Series award chosen by Academy members was The Guild.
Given that The Guild is half the reason Dr. Horrible existed in the first place, because it was Felicia’s work that inspired Joss to try to make something online, I doubt even Joss has a problem with that.
Whatever with your nerd-shows on the webintrons. I’ll just go back to re-watching The Wire and feeling superior because I’m watching “real” TV. And by “real TV” I mean I’m watching I Love Money 2 on VH1.
I will TOTALLY fight Henriksen to the death for Ms. Day’s hand in creepy internet stalking!
That said, I totally missed the Streamys due to an incessant need to sleep, but I must say that while I’m as hetero as John Wayne punching a grizzly bear, Neil Patrick Harris is the wind beneath my wings.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
What’s up with her mouth …. platypus?
Platypus? Are you kidding me? Why so judgy mr judgerton?
She just has a prominent and pretty flat upper lip.
Did Operation Kitty Calendar win anything? I thought that show was funny..
Maybe it’s too old, though (even though I just watched it for the first time last week).
She is a beautiful princess. I will not hear any bad things about Felicia Day. Hush.
I SAID HUSH.
She is beautiful! I loved her in Buffy.
I didn’t say any bad things. Maybe you are “projecting.”