Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly once had a hit song titled "Everyday," and it's as true today as it was in the '50s. Just when you think it can't get any better than something, it goes ahead and gets better than before.

"Every day it's a gettin' closer,

Goin' faster than a roller coaster..."

All this applies of course to the announcement that New York's governor Andrew Cuomo is going to receive an "International Emmy" for his Covid-19 leadership and communication skills. An International Emmy? This is a thing? Yes. Past winners have been Jim Henson, Roone Arledge, Oprah Winfrey, Al Gore, David Frost... 

There are many categories within the award. The guv is getting his award in the "Founders" category. Past winners have been Jim Henson, Roone Arledge, Oprah Winfrey, Al Gore and David Frost. The news is he's already prepared his acceptance speech that no doubt with be delivered on an Internet platform. The blurb for the announcement reads he is being cited for "effective use of television during the pandemic."

The guv of course already produced a book self-promoting his leadership skill, "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic." You gotta hand it to someone who can come up with such a book about themselves while the pandemic is still raging. There are those who feel the governor caused needless deaths when early in the pandemic he ordered elderly Covid-19 patients to be admitted to nursing home, spreading the disease within that population and infecting thousands who had not contracted the disease. It was a major boo-boo. Yet the book, and the award. 

Because of the pandemic, award shows are virtual, taking place in studios and homes, patched through to the viewing audience via taped TV and the Internet. Thus, the red carpet glitz is gone, as are the sweeping entrances, and it seems even the glamor of the presenters.  Governor Cuomo has gained wide exposure due to his news conferences. My wife, who answers a help desk phone line for National Consumer Panel (NCP) gets calls from people who tell her New York has a fine governor, and we're lucky to have him. My wife bites her tongue and won't engage in politics over the phone. Good thing.

We've written many times already about Maria DeCotis. She is the fall-down, funny comedian who is making a career out of taking utterances by Guv Andrew, and even his CNN brother Chris, and turning them into hilarious lip synching sketches. She is all over YouTube and it is worth going down the rabbit hole with her as she gives us the guv as a family man who is protective of his daughters, as well as testy with reporters. He can be a tough customer.

Maria's routines remind me of Vaughn Meader, who in the '60s imitated President Kennedy's voice to a T. He'd do monologues, not lip syncs, of the whole extended Kennedy family, even First Lady Jackie. His album, 'The First Family' was a million seller.

Unfortunately for  Vaughn he didn't get to use his material for an extended time. After the JFK assassination, there was no market for imitating the voice of a deceased president.

Governor Cuomo's latest news conference utterance is drawing  a legion of detractors who find his 10 per table Thanksgiving attendance laughable. There is a great deal of fun being made of it.  But of course the governor explains he doesn't mean there's a way to rigidly enforce his 10 per household max, he's just hoping that people will self-police their gatherings. 

The WSJ has devoted space to his utterances in their "Notable and Quotable" feature on their op-ed page. When you read what he's really saying, you might realize it makes sense. Or not. The guv himself believes opposition to Executive Orders (EO) is politically motivated.

Back to the Emmy citation, they are acknowledging his communication skills in his widely broadcast news conferences. Maria of course does a bit on this when she portrays his three adult daughters as claiming he's a poor communicator.

My daughter Nancy broke the news to me that the guv has been awarded an International Emmy, as if there aren't enough awards already in the world. She provided the link and a comment that proves the apple doesn't fall from the tree, that she'd be on board with the award if Maria DeCotis gets to be the presenter. Even virtually, I think I'd pay to see that.

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