Emmy Plane Skit Called Insensitive

By GARY GENTILE
The Associated Press
Monday, August 28, 2006; 1:41 AM

LOS ANGELES -- It was meant to be funny. But a fake plane crash during the opening Emmy awards skit made many cringe on Sunday _ the same day 49 people died in a fiery plane crash in Kentucky.

The skit, aired live at the start of NBC's Emmy telecast, brought a swift response from the general manager of NBC's Lexington, Ky., affiliate, WLEX.

"It was a live telecast. We were completely helpless," Tim Gilbert was quoted as saying on the Lexington Herald-Leader's Web site.

"By the time we began to react, it was over. At the station, we were as horrified as they were at home," Gilbert said.

Criticism of the sequence also appeared on other Web sites Sunday night, including the Los Angeles Times, where television columnist Scott Collins called it "cringe-inducing" and "of questionable taste."

The prerecorded opening segment began with Emmy host Conan O'Brien boarding a private plane to Los Angeles. Asked by a stewardess if he was nervous about hosting the show, O'Brien answered "Nervous? What could possibly go wrong?"

The plane then shook and pitched violently, sending O'Brien out of his seat and seeking shelter in an overhead baggage compartment.

The skit didn't show the plane crashing. Instead, it cut to O'Brien emerging from the ocean onto an island resembling the one in "Lost," where he meets a cast member.

Emmy show executive producer Ken Ehrlich declined comment when asked about criticism of the skit at the Governors Ball after the show.

The skit aired live on NBC just hours after a commuter jet in Kentucky crashed into a field and burst into flames, killing all aboard except a co-pilot.

Gilbert said he was home watching the Emmy show with his family when he was "stunned" by the Emmy skit. He said if he had known about it beforehand, Lexington viewers wouldn't have seen it.

Gilbert said he plans to ask NBC for an apology.

"They could have killed the opening and it wouldn't have hurt the show at all," Gilbert said. "We wish somebody had thought this through. It's somewhere between ignorance and incompetence."


I think I agree- I cringed when I saw it, between the crash in Kentucky, the recent threats and the fact that I am a very, very nervous flyer. I think they could have cut from Conan on the plane to walking up on the beach and most would have known it had to do with Lost.

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I agree. it was in very poor taste!

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I wrote this, too, on the original post about Conan on here. That skit gave me a nightmare; it was so real! I know it was a spoof, but I thought it was bad considering the terror plot, Kentucky (I know they did this before, but....PULL it) and the 9/11 anniversary

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I dont know, there are a lot of movies and shows showing the same exact thing and people enjoy these...

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they're kidding right?

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it was a spoof of Lost

i didn't even THINK of the kentucky thing when i saw it

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Honestly, it didn't bother me at all. Isn't that the whole point of the show "Lost" - an airplane crash??? I also thought special attention was paid to them since they won the Emmy last year and weren't even nominated this year.

Sorry, not really seeing the big deal.

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I think people overanalyze everything

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i mean if we go by that logic, it would be insensitive to watch a show where someone is killed, because earlier in the day someone was killed

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I guess I'm the odd man out, but DH and me both said....holy crap....this is just poor timing.

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if they would have said, this plane is taking off from kentucky and it was a DIRECT reference, then i would agree

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I am not going to lie....

when i was watching it in the beginning i was kinda like

until it went to the LOST thing...

But LOST wasn't my initial reaction since the show wasn't even nominated this year


whatever

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i didnt see the plane crash part- but him walking ont othe set of the Office and 24 and house etc i thought was absolutely hilarious

so i guess hearing that it started off with a plane crash still doesnt take away from the fact that the skit was awesome

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Posted by Redhead

I am not going to lie....

when i was watching it in the beginning i was kinda like

until it went to the LOST thing...

But LOST wasn't my initial reaction since the show wasn't even nominated this year


whatever