Sofia Vergara's bizarre, objectifying Emmy moment

The "Modern Family" actress is put on display--literally--for you viewers at home

Published August 26, 2014 2:22AM (EDT)

Sofia Vergara, left, and Television Academy CEO Bruce Rosenblum. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images)     (Vince Bucci/invision/ap)
Sofia Vergara, left, and Television Academy CEO Bruce Rosenblum. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images) (Vince Bucci/invision/ap)

Sofia Vergara has been nominated for an Emmy four times for her work on "Modern Family." But to the TV academy, she's a good-looking object to put on display.

Vergara introduced television academy CEO Bruce Rosenblum, who delivered a speech about the state of television, or something -- it was frankly hard to pay attention, as Vergara had stepped onto a rotating pedestal so that the audience could view her from 360 degrees. The actress is game for anything and usually makes fun of herself first (as when she made a strange joke about her unfamiliarity with American TV customs, as "Modern Family" prepares for its sixth season). Maybe she shouldn't!

The moment's unsavoriness, presenting a successful actress as nothing more than a body to ogle, was compounded by its timing; accepting the award for best variety series moments earlier, Stephen Colbert thanked his "one woman" writer. "Sorry for that, for some reason," he said. It's so difficult to deduce the reasons why women might feel discouraged from putting themselves forward as talents in the television industry, based on the fact that even a multiple nominee at the Emmys ends up getting taken for an embarrassing ride, one that goes around and around endlessly and to diminishing effect.


By Daniel D'Addario

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Modern Family Sofia Vergara Sofia Vergara Emmys The Emmys