Update!

Did Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage Make History at the Emmys?

All your most burning questions about last Sunday's Emmys, served up red hot!

By Leslie Gornstein Sep 20, 2011 1:00 AMTags
Game of Thrones, Peter DinklageHelen Sloan /HBO

Is Peter Dinklage the first person of short stature to win an Emmy?
—Lemmy, via the inbox

According to the Little People of America, which posted a note of congratulations on Facebook, yes! "So often LP's are cast in stereotypical roles and are not cast for their talent or abilities," spokeswoman Leah Smith tells me. "Peter Dinklage is an exception to this rule and has consistently played character's that pushed the envelope of what society might think are the limits of a person of short stature."

But wow, did I get a lot more questions about last night's mixed bag of Emmys:

RELATED: Check Out the World's Most Exciting Emmy Coverage!

I read that Luther was really a TV show that was nominated as a miniseries. Are there tricks to garnering an Emmy nomination?
—Li Jenn, via Twitter

Oh yes. And tricks to getting a statue, too. That goes for any major award. If a category looks a bit too packed with talent, a show or movie may submit itself in another category and hope for the best. That tactic works especially well in the acting category. Ever wonder why one guy is nominated as a supporting actor when another dude with fewer lines is put up for the lead? Now you know why: It's all about the odds, baby.

Is it me, or were the Emmys a bit snoozerific? I watched more of the Eagles game! I'm thinking FOX was not a good look.
—Miss Robin, via Twitter

I rather liked the giant CD in the middle of the stage that kept showing pretty moving pictures. It was like watching a soap opera sent from space. For the record, the Emmy show, by industry reckoning, was considered speedy and ended early: "If anything, the kudocast may have overcompensated for this year's new reduction in categories on the telecast by hurtling through movies/miniseries and finding itself approaching the end of the evening with minutes to spare," Variety notes.

Why has there been no criticism of Kate Winslet's terrible American accent in Mildred Pierce? She got an Emmy last night for that!? The bad accents go both ways across the pond!
—Judith T., via Facebook

In defense of Winslet, who I thought was serviceable as Mildred but not nearly so show-stopping as Evan Rachel Wood as Veda—the character is supposed to be a bit affected. (Read the novel; you'll see.) And critics liked it too; one called the accent "letter-perfect."

Any shocking omissions in the "In Memoriam" section?
—Libbye M., via Facebook

Yep.

How do reporters get interviews on the red carpet? Do they have to yell to get the actors' attention? Are they set up in advance?
—Juan, via Facebook

Often, yes, reporters are led to preassigned spaces behind ropes and left to shriek for themselves, but not always. For TV red carpet interviews, stars are often booked in advance through their publicists, or collared on the spot by a producer go-betweens and then led over to the microphones. In general, outlets toward the beginning or middle of the carpet fare better than reporters stuck toward the end, when stars are tired of reciting who they're wearing and just want to get into the show already.

I think the "crowning" of Melissa McCarthy last night was humiliating, partly because she's not a usual beauty queen material. I don't think they would do the same if, say, Laura Linney had won.
—Muhamad A., via Facebook

Not so fast. Let's remember that all of the actresses were lined up on stage before the announcement, clutching each other's sweaty, feverishly manicured paws, clearly evoking a beauty pageant finale. So the setup was there before anyone (other than the accountants) knew who won. Or are you a conspiracy theorist?

Latest News