A night of outfits, cameras, speeches and trophies has once again swept over the nation and beyond. While the 77th Emmy Awards was a night of success for many, there was a controversial stake to some of the winners.
Under the harsh spotlights and on a large stage in front of thousands of audience members, children from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America were ushered out next to the nominees. They stood there while the number of $100,000 flashed on screen. If any of the speeches went over time, $1,000 would be deducted from the charity fund for every second they were over.
Celebrities sped over speeches or cut them off entirely. Others would still try to deliver their full speech, watching helplessly as the number trickled down.
The number would increase every time an acceptance speech would go under time, which rarely occurred.
By the end of the night, the number was around negative $60,000.
“[The Boys and Girls Club members] were waiting to see the outcome in real time, like everyone else,” Lisa Anastasi, the organization’s chief development and external relations officer, said Monday in an email to AP News.
The host of the Emmys, Nate Bargatze, pledged an initial $100,000 at the beginning of the night. By the end of the night, he ended up still donating $250,000 and CBS, the broadcaster for the event, donated $100,000.
“The $350,000 donation will be incredibly impactful to our programs and in the lives of kids and teens who attend our clubs,” Anastasi said in an article by AP News. “But this moment was about more than the donation for us — it was also special because it placed our mission and our club kids on a national stage.”
The Boys and Girls Club has been helping America’s youth since 1860. Whether it is providing a safe learning environment for them or helping youth ensure their future, they do a lot for their local community.
“To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” is their mission statement, according to their website.
While some viewers enjoyed the mockery of Hollywood on stage, many disagreed with the way the Emmys had handled the charitable donation.
Despite the amount being tripled by the end of the night, much of the Emmys was spent with viewers watching a number decrease that was supposed to be donated to children. The very fact that they were on stage next to the winners was a constant reminder to these celebrities that their time was extremely limited.
The fact that charity was reduced to a gimmick diminished the seriousness of helping children in need. Charity should never be used as punishment or entertainment.
Not only was this humiliating for celebrities, but for the children on stage as well who had to stand there while a number – their future – decreased every second.
Acceptance speeches are only supposed to be 45 seconds. It can be hard for many to recognize all of the people they want to within that time frame.
While in years past, overtime of the speeches has always been an issue, the Emmys should take another approach in limiting it rather than pulling money from a charity on a national stage.
“$100,000 is not a joke — it’s rent, it’s meals, it’s staff salaries, it’s futures,” T. Clay Buck, a fundraising strategist for multiple nonprofits and former chief development officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, said in a LinkedIn post. “And to cheapen that gift by making it conditional, transactional or theatrical diminishes the very heart of giving.”
Charitable giving should be uplifting, not entertainment at someone else’s expense. The Emmys should have known better.
Andrea Roberts can be reached at [email protected].