By:  Leigh Russell 

                  All right folks, it isn’t as though you aren’t going to get columns like this all over the internet today, but I just felt moved to write this column, and it is, after all, what the Muse writings are for, right? Now as you might know, unless you live under a rock, or on the west coast, the Emmys were announced this morning. I live on the west coast, but I was up before the sun, armed with coffee, message boards, and my east coast buddies on Instant Messenger, ready to let me know the nominations the seconds they were announced. The only thing more exciting than the Emmy nominations as I waited for them to be announced was the knowledge that I would be seeing Chicago later on in the day in one of the best theaters in the Los Angeles area. Stadium seating, great food and Catherine Zeta Jones! It doesn’t get any better than that! 

            Now before I begin my exuberant and heinous reactions to the nominations, I have included a list of my predictions. Those of you who know me know I wouldn’t lie about this just to make myself seem accurate—these are my honest to goodness predictions, and you can find a list of nominations on lots of message boards on the net, including abc.com.  Here are my predictions of the nominees before they were announced on The View this morning: 

Outstanding Supporting Actress:

Marj Dusay (Vanessa, AMC); Barbara Garrick (Alison, OLTL); Vanessa Marcil (Brenda, GH); Heather Tom (Victoria, Y&R); Beth Ehlers (Harley, GL) 

Outstanding Supporting Actor:

Roscoe Born (Mitch, OLTL) should have been LEAD; Steve Burton (Jason, GH); Matthew Ashford (Jack, DAYS); Brian Gaskill (Rafe, PC); Josh Duhamel (Leo, AMC) 

Outstanding Lead Actor:

Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH); Vincent Irizarry (David, AMC); Roger Howarth (Todd, OLTL); Michael Easton (Caleb, PC); and Hunt Block (ATWT) 

Outstanding Lead Actress:

Susan Flannery (Stephanie, B&B); Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH); Erika Slezak (Victoria, OLTL); Lynn Herring (Lucy, PC); Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R) 

Outstanding Younger Actress:

Melissa Archer (Natalie, OLTL); Eden Riegel (Bianca, AMC); Adrienne Frantz (Amber, B&B); Nadja Borlin (DAYS); Erin Hershey Presley (Alison, PC) 

Outstanding Younger Actor:

Chad Brannon (Zander, GH); Justin Torkilsen (Rick, B&B); Jordi Vilasuso (Tony, GL); Josh Ryan Evans (Timmy, PAS); David Lago (Raul, Y&R) 

            I’ll ignore that I was right about Vanessa, Josh, Maurice, Susan, Nancy, Michelle, Adrienne, Erin, Chad, Jordi, and David, and start with the obvious—I just KNEW that both Vanessa Marcil and Robin Christopher would earn nominations. Why didn’t I include RC in my predictions? I was trying to keep to one person per show, as I think the Emmys should, but far be it from them to be above causing even more back biting on the message boards right up until Emmy night and for weeks thereafter, about who “deserved” the Emmy more. I’m telling you all now—Robin and Vanessa both have a great chance. Who is my money on? Vanessa. Why? They want her back. Granted, I love her, and I would give her my pick anyways, she has some good moments in the church, and in the hospital, reacting to both Sonny and Jax’s bullet wounds. EERILY missing from consideration—Heather Tom, though she always wins, and Barbara Garrick, who is an amazing actress that played crazy better than anyone I’ve seen before except maybe for Marj Dusay who has been permanently screwed by the Emmy folks! 

            To add to my certainty that this whole Emmy game is rigged where in the complete HELL are nominations for Roscoe Born, Roger Howarth, Erika Slezak and Melissa Archer?!?!?!?!?!?! My blood pressure is rising and now I am more convinced than ever, especially with the WTF nomination of Alicia Leigh Willis, that all is not well in the town of Emmyville.  Congratulations to Erin Hershey Presley who MORE than deserved her nomination after Rafe and Alison’s cancelled nuptials on Port Charles, as well as Adrienne Frantz and Jennifer Finnegan, who have both garnered Emmys in the past. Why didn’t I pick both of them in my predictions? Again, I was trying to keep to one actor per show, but the Emmy people didn’t so oh well.  

            Josh Duhamel and Paul Anthony Stewart are both also EXTREMELY deserving and I am so happy to see their names on the ballot, but if Steve Burton doesn’t support—what does he do? He may be in a butt load of scenes, but “hey Jase, there’s something brown on your nose there, buddy.” Like the Borg or hate him, he deserves a nomination.  Lead Actor category—AGAIN FOLKS, PLEASE, can we have one person per show? I mean is that really difficult to pick five individuals when you have ten soaps on the air? Tony Geary and Maurice Benard—I consider these two equal heavy weights on General Hospital, and the Emmy people should have chosen one or the other, and given the other nod to Vincent Irizarry, who could wipe the floor with either of them, acting wise—any day of the week and twice on Sundays! 

            Lead Actress—everyone nominated deserves to be there—moment of silence for Erika Slezak’s absence. Congratulations to Chad Brannon who I believe will walk away with the Emmy, as he should, more like a football player running for the touchdown line. Thank GOD they did not nominate Dylan Cash. Has he been on screen enough to even have been submitted? I am surprised however, that Josh Ryan Evans did not receive a nomination—goodness knows the kid could act, and award shows love to give posthumously. I have one thing to say about Aidan Turner—NO. 

            And last but so far from LEAST you can’t even see it—PORT CHARLES! The surprise, and definitely the dark horse of this ballot—HUGE congratulations to Erin Hershey Presley, Kelly Monaco, Thorsten Kaye, and the entire cast and crew of the show for garnering a BEST SHOW nod! I don’t think they’ll win, but it’ll be wonderful if they do, and I am so proud of the Emmy folks for FINALLY recognizing the talent on that show in all areas! I would love to see each actor walk away with the Emmy in their respective categories. Okay, sigh, deep breath, they have redeemed the Emmys in my eyes. I will be front and center Emmy night, and if Erin Hershey Presley, Vanessa Marcil, Josh Duhamel, Thorsten Kaye, and Port Charles win, you will hear my jubilant screams from the Santa Monica mountains to Timbuktu! 

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