The White Lotus scored 23 Emmy nominations this year. No, that’s not a typo.
Nearly two dozen nominations, including four out of six slots for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. And I have to ask: Have we lost the plot?
No, but seriously. It’s madness. If we’ve reached a point where we’re in the double digits for nominating individuals from a single series, there’s a category that encompasses that: Best Cast.
The White Lotus is fine. I’ve slogged through the series, determined to figure out the hype, and it can be entertaining. The White Lotus is one of those series you watch because you think everyone else is too, and you don’t want to miss out on something.
Sure, it gives actors a playground to chew scenery in beautifully shot resorts in luxurious locations. But the sheer volume of praise it’s receiving is disproportionate and excessive.
And it speaks to a broader problem with how the Emmys — and perhaps the industry at large — have begun treating awards as a popularity contest rather than a true reflection of excellence.
Is this high school? Are they voting for Homecoming King or Queen, or is this truly about recognition of great art?
The White Lotus isn’t saying anything new. It recycles the same satirical critique of entitled, wealthy white people that has worn thin. We’ve seen this before, and frankly, we’ve seen it done better. Yet somehow, this series continues to rack up accolades as if it’s reinventing television.
The Emmys seem to be voting based on momentum and familiarity, rather than merit.
It’s a mediocre, albeit watchable, series masquerading as prestigious art that has become an oversaturated, overexposed entity, completely disrupting everything the Emmy process should be.
This performative prestige is frustrating because the content doesn’t actually live up to it. It’s a slap in the face, especially when genuinely bold, innovative, and underrepresented shows can’t seem to break through.
Case in point: Industry. An absolute masterclass in character complexity and tension. Or Interview with the Vampire, which delivered one of the richest queer narratives on television, backed by provocative, brilliant performances and cinematic flair.
Shows like these are ignored in favor of yet another round of “Who’s Who in Hollywood,” checking into a five-star resort to play jaded caricatures. Boring.
It’s infuriating that a series like The White Lotus can dominate an award season at the expense of many other brilliant but ignored contenders.
But ironically, what adds insult to injury is that, despite shoving every conceivable person imaginable into a category, somehow The White Lotus still managed to snub some of the few additions who made the third season worthwhile in the first place.
Patrick Schwarzenegger, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, and Sam Nivola all brought nuance and energy to a bloated ensemble that desperately needed it. But they’re nowhere to be found on the nomination list. How does a show submit everyone under the sun and still miss key players?
This isn’t about disliking one show. But we can collectively agree this is ridiculous, right? Twenty-three nominations during a series’ weakest and slowest season?
What are we doing here?
The truth of the matter is that The White Lotus should’ve remained a limited series. It had a moment. However, dragging it into multi-season territory feels more like HBO chasing awards than story.
The longer it continues, the more it exposes its own diminishing returns, both narratively and thematically, as well as critically.
If we’re handing out nominations like party favors to the same two to three shows every year, then we’re not celebrating excellence. We’re just rewarding the best-connected and those who know how to play the game the best. To hell with everyone else, right?
Fans and haters alike can agree that The White Lotus doesn’t deserve 23 nominations. Not this season. And not at the cost of other great and deserving series.
Can we please stop treating anything that generates buzz as brilliant?
Better yet, can we start actually honoring the full scope of what television is capable of and has to offer, rather than just the same handful of series that people who don’t watch anything else think look good on an Emmy reel?
Because I’m tired.
Watch The White Lotus Online
Let’s keep the conversation going — how do you feel about the Emmy noms? What are your biggest gripes?
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