Emmys are a big deal — if you've been nominated

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Here's a quick quiz: Which of the following TV producers runs a show that's an Emmy nominee, and which doesn't?

 "Of course the Emmys are important," said Ryan Murphy of "Glee." "It's always great to be recognized by your peers. There's a certain validation in that."

 "Every year when the Emmys are announced, half the stories are about the nominations, and the other half of the stories are about the absurdity of the nominations and the snubs," said Kurt Sutter of "Sons of Anarchy." "So to me, perhaps that suggests that the system is somewhat flawed. And that's all I'll say."

Hey, I never said it was going to be a hard quiz.

Yes, "Glee" is up for 19 Emmys this year.

And "Sons of Anarchy," which is somewhat of a critical darling, isn't up for any Emmys. Which explains not only Sutter's reaction, but the reactions of his fellow producers and the show's stars. Cast member Tommy Flanagan commented, "Emmy-shmemmy" — and offered a single-finger salute.

Ron Perlman and Charlie Hunnam resorted to the use of, um, colorful language that can't be reprinted in a family newspaper.

Did I mention that "Sons of Anarchy" didn't receive any Emmy nominations?

The television industry gathers for "The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards" on Sunday in Hollywood. Well, the members of the industry who got nominated, anyway.

And presiding over the ceremonies will be first-time host Jimmy Fallon, who's there because the Emmys are on NBC. And NBC wants to promote "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon."

"For me, it's a great opportunity for more people to see my type of humor," he said.

But at the same time, Fallon promises he's not going to try to dominate the proceedings. "This is not 'Primetime Jimmy Show,' " he said, promising a fun and humorous evening.

But he also made this curious statement: "Coming from 'Saturday Night Live,' we kind of know how far you can push things."

Right. Because "SNL" never, ever takes anything too far.

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable," Fallon insisted. "I want to make people laugh. I want to make the show moving and entertaining. ... It's not really about me. It's more about celebrating television."