Seth Rogen criticizes the Emmys for holding awards ceremony indoors: 'They lied to us'
Seth Rogen was the first presenter of an award at Sunday's Emmys.
He called attention to how the event was inside a "sealed tent" and not "outside" as promised.
"I would not have come to this," he said. "Why is there a roof?"
Seth Rogen didn't hold back when he came out to present at the 73rd Annual Emmy Awards on Sunday night. He promptly critiqued the set up for evening, which is being held while COVID-19 persists around the world.
"Good to be here at the Emmy Awards," Rogen began. "Let me start by saying: There's way too many of us in this little room."
He continued: "What are we doing? They said this was outdoors - it's not! They lied to us!"
Prior to the ceremony, the Television Academy and CBS had announced plans to use an outdoor space called the Event Deck at LA Live next to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles for the event.
"This will provide an opportunity to utilize an 'indoor/outdoor' setting and more socially distanced audience seating," a statement provided to Variety said.
The ceremony, which aired live Sunday night on CBS, would appear to the untrained eye to be all indoors, with the nominees and their guests seated close together at tables around the stage.
"We're in a hermetically-sealed tent right now," Rogen said to the audience. "I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof?"
When host Cedric the Entertainer returned to the stage a few minutes later, he reminded the seated audience and viewers at home that COVID-19 safety protocols had been followed.
"It actually feels amazing," he said. "Unlike what Seth was talking about, we're all vaxxed, we had to get vaxxed to get in here."
"The health and safety of our nominees is of paramount importance," the Television Academysaid in a statement prior to the event. "Conversations are ongoing, and we will provide further information as it is available. The Television Academy appreciates everyone's understanding as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 delta variant."
A representative for Sunday's award show production did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.
Read the original article on Insider
