| One would think that with the explosion of television programming to the point where we now have hundred of stations and thousands of entertainers of all hues to choose from, the Emmys would reflect the rainbow of talent that we presently find on the air. So, it seemed silly, artificial, and oddly otherworldly to watch an award show which ignored the evolution of the medium where virtually no people of color were even nominated.
The otherwise lily-white parade of winners was only broken up by S. Epatha Merkerson, who took home her trophy in the Outstanding Actress in a Movie or Miniseries category, beating out her Lackawanna Blues producer Halle Berry, who was up for Their Eyes were Watching God. Though her first name is really Sharon, she has lately been claiming that the "S" stands for Sweet.
Regardless, the 52 year-old veteran of stage and screen is an accomplished actress who has enjoyed a long show-biz career. She got her big break from Spike Lee who cast her in his first film, She’s Gotta Have It (1986). In 1990, she was nominated for a Tony for her work in August Wilson’s play, The Piano Lesson. She has also appeared on sitcoms like Frasier and The Cosby Show, and in such feature films as Terminator 2, Radio, and Jersey Girl. | | Still, she’s probably best known for her recurring role as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on NBC’s Law & Order, work which has landed her four Image Award nominations from the NAACP.
However, the Emmy was S’s first win, and she all but lost her composure when her hand-written acceptance speech disappeared into her ample cleavage. "Oh my God! I actually wrote something, and it went down my thing, and I can’t get it," the breathless thespian panted. "It’s probably stuck to me," she added after fishing around futilely. "Oh God, it’s down there. My mother’s watching. She’s going to die. Ma, I lost it," she concluded before finally proceeding to thank people off the top of her head.
The problem was that at this point, she was just about out of time, and she finally did find something to read aloud, a teleprompter. "Wrap it up? Okay. Thank you," she concluded, leaving one wondering whether Halle might have had something more meaningful to say or at least experienced a more revealing wardrobe malfunction while digging around in her décolletage.
Editor’s note: Attorney Lloyd Williams is a member of the NJ, NY, CT, PA, MA, and US Supreme Court bar associations. Williams is also the entertainment critic for the Urban Spectrum. |
