While TV stars and creators are busy campaigning before the Emmy voting window approaches, the Television Academy spent an evening handing out awards to some special programs on Wednesday.
This year’s Television Academy Honors Gala honored seven projects that harnessed the power of television to create positive change around the world, with Adolescence, Deaf president now!, Dying for sex, hot competition, Saw and Heard: A History of Black Television and South Park Everything is recognized.
South Park Co-creator Trey Parker made a rare appearance in Hollywood to accept the award, saying, “After doing the show for 30 years, I just wanted to say to the Television Academy, like, ‘What took you so long?’
He went on to explain how he was often told that he and partner Matt Stone were fearless these days, devoting so much of their comedy cartoons to mocking Donald Trump, which created a ratings boom, revitalized the show and also angered the White House.
Parker shouted out his writing team for standing up for their bravery, “especially this year when we started saying, ‘Okay, this is the show we’re going to do,’ and they were like, ‘Oh, okay — this is really going to piss some people off.'” He noted that over the show’s three decades, “there have always been groups telling you what you can and can’t say; and now this group has an army, so they’re even scarier. They have to be.” “Without fear.”
Parker was also joined by his daughter Betty, who has been a voice on the series since she was two years old. He directed the rest of his speech directly at her, saying, “I know I forced this on you, but never be afraid and never let people tell you what you can and can’t say, what you can and can’t think. You’ll always find people who agree with you, and maybe you’ll get one of those,” he joked, holding up his new cup.
Padma Lakshmi served as the hostess for the event I saw and heard EP Issa Rae and Deaf president now! Co-director Nile DeMarco appeared. Hot competition Creator Jacob Tierney also stopped by to accept recognition for his super-success in gay hockey, noting that there was never an expectation to attract awards attention “when you choose porn.”
