As coronavirus cases around the country continue to spike, even states where the pandemic curve had been previously flattened are under siege. In New York, where Governor Andrew Cuomo initially won widespread acclaim for his press briefings about the global health crisis, positive diagnoses and deaths have grown steadily over the last two weeks.
But despite the growing awareness that the nation’s battle with the virus will get even worse over the coming weeks, there’s apparently always time to reminisce about past glory. On Monday, Cuomo accepted the International Emmy Founders Award, “in recognition of his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world.”
“Thank you to all the members of the Academy. Your work has brought smiles and hope and relief for so many people during these difficult days,” Cuomo said in pre-taped remarks. “I wish I could say that my daily COVID presentations are well-choreographed, scripted, rehearsed, or reflected any of the talents you advance. They didn’t. They offered only one thing: authentic truth and stability. But sometimes that’s enough.”
Cuomo was praised for the briefings in the early stages of the pandemic, as his tough demeanor and an effort to speak the truth stood in stark contrast to President Donald Trump, who often used his coronavirus press briefings to spread misinformation about the virus. (Trump, for the record, has never won an Emmy.) In announcing that the governor would receive this Founders Award, International Academy President and CEO Bruce Paisner lauded Cuomo’s 111 briefings for being “television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure.”
“People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back,” Paisner said.
In keeping with that theme, Cuomo’s acceptance speech was preceded by a host of celebrities with deep ties to New York—including Billy Crystal, Billy Joel, Robert De Niro, Rosie Perez, Spike Lee, and Ben Stiller—all of whom praised the governor for exhibiting what could be best described as New York toughness. Stiller, in particular, used his platform to lightly roast Cuomo for his burgeoning online fame as a sex symbol.
“I appreciate the humor from my friends in the video and I take it in good stride, Cuomo said. “And to Ben Stiller, whose teasing took liberal license, testing the boundaries of decorum and good taste, I only say New York tough means one more thing. It means, Ben, I know where you live.”
Cuomo has continued his daily briefings since the spring, although the response to his handling of the virus has certainly shifted despite the Emmy. Last week, Cuomo battled with the press over closing New York schools. This week, Cuomo was criticized for saying during a radio interview that he planned to invite his 89-year-old mother over for Thanksgiving, despite telling New Yorkers to avoid family gatherings on account of the virus spread.
“Andrew Cuomo doesn’t need an Emmy, he needs a reality check,” Nick Langworthy, the Republican Party chairman in New York said to the New York Times. “Governor Cuomo definitely deserves an award for best actor in the fictional storylines that he’s created declaring himself a great leader.”
Following the backlash, a representative for Cuomo said the governor was simply kidding around and his mother would not attend Thanksgiving dinner.
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