Steve Dahl: How I broke my local Emmy

Subject:

Comments:
: How I broke my local Emmy (yes, they hand them out) : Steve Dahl | Chicago Tribune : November 4, 2009 : You may or may not know that there still are local Emmys. Perhaps you recall seeing them on TV back in the day. That was a gentler time when there was considerably less competition for viewers' attention. Local TV stations were allowed a bit more latitude in terms of self-congratulatory on-air events. When the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards were broadcast, they were tedious and cumbersome, and highlights, such as in the 1989 show, included local news people winning awards for their coverage of the Laurie Dann killings. That announcement was followed by a bunch of giddy WMAQ-Ch. 5 staffers rushing to the podium to pick up their hardware. : My former partner, Garry Meier, and I won a local Emmy for a 1981 special on the cottage industry that had sprung up around Elvis' mansion in Memphis, Tenn. The show, "Greetings From Graceland," received the only Emmy WLS-Ch. 7 won that year. I mention this only because Joe Ahern, the WLS sales manager at the time, didn't want the show to air. He thought the comedic levels to which Garry and I sunk were not the sort of thing he wanted on WLS' airwaves. After an agreement to edit out several seconds of a cooking segment that featured me dressed as Elvis and spitting Pepsi into a salad bowl (Elvis loved Pepsi salad), the show finally made it on air. : Three Dahls are being considered for local Emmys this year. My oldest son, Patrick, is nominated for a series of NHL All-Star Game voting commercials he did for three Blackhawks players. My middle son, Michael, is nominated for his work on the One Network campaign designed to promote the Comcast SportsNet brand. And I am nominated for producing and hosting the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards. I have three sons. My youngest son, Matt, puts together montages of naked actresses for MrSkin.com. He probably has the most fun, but there are no Emmys for that type of work. I like to say that Matt is in the soft-core porn industry. His mother doesn't like that one bit. : Although I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of my sons, I will not be in attendance for the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards on Saturday at Park West. The last time I attended an Emmy show was when I won in 1981. . I broke my Emmy while pantomiming hitting Joe Ahern over the head with it during a photo opportunity. I still have the broken Emmy in my office, which is temporarily in my basement, or as I like to call it, Podcast Central. I was drunk when I accepted my award and mocked Irv Kupcinet, who reluctantly presented it to me. I still shudder when I see the video -- not only because I was an impetuous fool, but because I'm getting so old. : I hope my sons win, as it probably will be good for their careers. My oldest is attending the awards with his wife. The middle one (Michael) probably has something more fun to do lined up, but I would recommend that he attend for networking purposes. If I should win, I have instructed Patrick to break my award in half on my behalf. I recommend that all three of them go and cavort with young anchorwomen. I am far too old for such nonsense and probably would embarrass my sons and myself with the inevitable social faux pas. That's what I do. And besides, I'm boycotting the event until my youngest son's work at MrSkin.com is finally recognized by the academy. : Steve Dahl is a Tribune special contributor. To read and hear more Steve Dahl, go to dahl.com.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

Enter verification code: