"In the lead-up to last night's Emmy Awards, the host, Nate Bargatze, explained that he wanted to keep the evening as tightly-run as possible, so that the ceremony wouldn't exceed its three-hour timeslot. To enforce order, he intended to rely on a single bit throughout the show: For every second a winner went over their allotted time for giving an acceptance speech, he'd take $1,000 away from a planned $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America."
"Every ceremony must overcome the inherently repetitive nature of its format. Stars swan onto a stage to present an award; a list of nominees plays; a winner is announced; a speech is given. Lather, rinse, repeat. Aside from musical performances or unexpected pairings of presenters, the evening's emcee plays the most crucial role in breaking up the monotony: He or she might change into an array of different telegenic outfits, act in a series of skits, or even sing a solo before the crowd."
Nate Bargatze implemented a donation-based timing mechanism at the Emmys that subtracted $1,000 from a planned $100,000 Boys & Girls Clubs of America donation for every second winners exceeded their allotted acceptance-speech time, and added $1,000 back for seconds saved. The goal was to keep the ceremony within a three-hour timeslot and keep attention on television achievements. In practice, winners rushed through thank-yous, apologized to children representing the charity on stage, and delivered tightly scripted remarks. The gag dominated the broadcast, limited spontaneous moments, and underscored how acceptance speeches and varied emcee elements sustain awards-show pageantry.
Read at The Atlantic
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