Screaming Tom

This weekend's popularity contest - Emmy's and SoVo Best of Atlanta

This weekend's popularity contest - Emmy's and SoVo Best of Atlanta

This weekend has brought to the world two interesting contests - the Emmys and Southern Voice's Best of Atlanta. Like all contests of this nature they are in fact popularity contests and do not really reflect what people of the world (or Atlanta) think.

Take the Emmys. I'm a major television fan and watch about 20 hours a week thanks to my VCR and some social planning. My favorites are Sci-fi, news, police dramas and some comedies.

The best show on television (IMHO) is Real Time with Bill Maher followed by Stargate SG-1 and the Simpsons. Of course, that is my opinion.

So I was surprised to be watching the Emmys since the Simpsons are preempted and continue to watch anyway (having taped 60 Minutes for later viewing).

For a little background, I have seen 10 minutes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" as well as the "West Wing." I tried to watch West Wing but the show is too tense and staged for me and the previews are always a turn-off. As for ELR, nothing in that show drew me in and now all the hype is a turn-off.

I was genuinely tickled by Gary Shandling kissing the guy for ELR, Brad Garrett. It was perfect and unexpected. Wanda Sykes is always a joy to watch and I see big things for her except her show sucked last weekend.

I was surprised to see Deborah Messing "Will and Grace" since the show REALLY sucks, in my opinion, and is a joke to be called gay. I would call is HRC-gay for the general viewing public. It's a plot by HRC to take over the world.

Since it is 9am, I started taping the Emmys to watch Carnivale and K-Street.

Thank god I taped the rest. I managed to watch the last hour in 15 minutes. Sopranos are the greatest but I don't know where the reality show category came from. They all suck. (Note to QEFTSG - it's getting old fast!)

Best of Atlanta

Anytime a magazine or newspaper does a "Best Of" I usually assume it is to honor the best advertisers of the publication. Atlanta Magazine and Creative Loafing come to mind.

But I truly believe SoVo puts an effort into there awards but have to question who are the people voting. Since Window Media took over SoVo, you have to assume the demographics have shifted. SoVo was once the lesbian news of Atlanta and now it is - well, SoVo. I believe it is the best LGBT paper in the country and does a great job.

But who are the readers of SoVo now? Judging from the awards, it is the circuit boy crowd - and the stupid ones, at that.

Under "Arts and Entertainment" - I would bet most of the readers wouldn't know where to find most of the venues if it wasn't Blu, Red Chair or Backstreet. Looking at Best Artist is wasn't surprising to see Shannon Lake's art adorned Red Chair.

"Community" has to be the most baffling category. Jim Marks has been kicked out of more non-profits than I can remember and he still manages to get a job as treasurer at the Names Project. I hope we don't see any AIDS panels being made into dresses anytime soon.

And Mayor Shirley Franklin is closing down your bars early and turning the clock back on a progressive Atlanta. But that would only help Blu and the after-hours drug business - so no big deal. There's always the house parties, too.

I was really surprised not to see Cindy Able listed with her partner in the "Most Dynamic Couple" category. Cindy would cut her right hand off to be listed in a newspaper but it seems she didn't have the marketing know-how to get listed. Talk about a marketing expert!?! (Hint: It's ballot stuffing by friends)

The "Most Effective Non-Profit" went to another circuit group. I wonder if they had their Coors sign up?

A friend of mime often complains about St. Marks being so popular with the circuit crowd. I, for one, go to church to get Jesus, not a date. So I was not surprised by the trend here. MCC does a great deal for the community and the community should do more for this fine church.

As for the "Issue Needing More Attention", I vote for the Coors infestation in Atlanta. Many people talk about it but do little or nothing.

Under "Romance and Fun", I guess the logical choice for a commitment ceremony is the place you met, but really. And I'm glad to see Outwrite has some customer base, because I know a lot of people who will never set foot in that place again.

The rest are the obvious choices.

Wrapping up, I guess a paper should reflect the people who read it but I have to wonder how representative this "Best of Atlanta" is considering how diverse Atlanta is.

posted by Tom Dempsey @ 9/22/2003