During an appearance at the 2021 Emmys, Seth Rogen comments on the lack of COVID safety at the event. Like many industry staples during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Hollywood award shows have had to adjust over the last year and a half. All have taken a slightly different approach, but there has been more of a return to in-person events in 2021. The Oscars, which took place in late April, had a smaller version of the usual ceremony and held the majority of the event at Union Station in a break from tradition. In contrast, the 2020 Emmys were almost entirely remote, with only a handful of celebrities appearing physically on stage.
The 2021 Emmys featured a return to what viewers have come to expect, with the majority of the nominees there either in person or at a separate location in London. The main event was held at the Event Deck at L.A. Live in Los Angeles with fewer attendees than usual. Coming in with nominations in a variety of categories, both The Crown and Ted Lasso earned several awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series. Additionally, Hacks, Mare of Easttown, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and The Queen's Gambit each won in multiple categories.
In addition to several moving acceptance speeches, the 2021 Emmys also featured some noteworthy presenters. Rogen appeared near the top of the show and took a moment to comment on what some perceived as a lack of COVID safety at the event. He noted the ceremony was hardly taking place outdoors as promised and joked they had instead been placed in "a hermetically sealed tent." Novelist Richard Hine shared a video of Rogen's comments, which can be viewed below.
It's worth noting the 2021 Emmys required proof of vaccination for all attendees, which likely helped mitigate the risk factor. However, Rogen makes a completely fair point that the event did not at all appear as though it was being held outdoors and that, despite limiting the number of individuals present, it did seem like there were quite a few in attendance. It also doesn't help that it was a bit jarring to see such a large crowd of people there after the almost exclusively virtual ceremony held last year.
It's likely Rogen's comments were approved beforehand or that the actor was at least somewhat joking. However, it still made for one of the Emmys' more honest moments, with Rogen likely echoing what many viewers were thinking while watching from home. Award shows will continue to make at least some accommodations for COVID in the near future, and it will be interesting to see if others take the approach of the 2021 Emmys or try something new.
Source: 2021 Emmy Awards (via Richard Hine)