Emmy Awards validate personal choices

Jerry Van Dyke who starred in television and movies, was one of those remembered during Monday's Emmy Awards ceremony. Here we are with Van Dyke in Mexico, after playing beach volleyball.

After sitting (pretty) still and watching the television awards ceremony for more than three hours on Monday, this occurred to the blog author: The Emmy Awards event is mainly a validation of one's personal viewing choices. Is it not?

The 70th annual awards ceremony tonight was the 70th annual one; dating from 1949. So it's gone along 10 more years than the author has been alive. Back in the day, our family of seven had a black-and-white television set, and as a family, I remember watching "Bonanza" on Sunday nights.

Much of the other early television memories are muted as our father forbid television watching (in favor of reading books) for about three years. Yep, we Cox children went without in the 1960s, even as we lived in a neighborhood full of homes with television sets.

That habit continued with this writer, who tries to limit television time to the hours of 7-10 p.m. Exceptions are sports events.

But Monday night, some big awards went to shows we've actually seen, including "Godless," "The Crown" and "Saturday Night Live."

One highlight, for sure, was seeing Betty White, who wept and thanked the audience repeatedly for honoring her, now 96 years old. She's been in the television business since it started.

Another highlight was hearing Aretha Franklin sing, "Amazing Grace." Perhaps it is a reflection of being 60 years old now, but it was sobering to see how many people who had died in the past year.

Actor Jerry Van Dyke stood out to us: He played volleyball with Steve and me, one time when we visited Mexico. He had a house near the resort we stayed in, almost 30 years ago, and kayaked in to ask if we'd play the game with him. Of course we agreed! R.I.P. Jerry Van Dyke. You were a kind person and talented comic actor.

And thanks to the Emmy Awards hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, two of our favorite comedians on Saturday Night Live. You provided excellent entertainment to this baby-boomer couple.