The National Academy of Television Arts & Science might be regretting its choice to hire four popular social media personalities to cover the Daytime Emmy Awards red carpet on Sunday.
The livestream — hosted by Brittany Furlan, Lauren Elizabeth, Jessica Harlow and Meghan Rosette — has been declared a “disaster” by numerous media outlets as well as daytime TV insiders in wake of what Washington Post characterized as “wildly unprofessional” interviews and racy jokes.
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The hostesses had a general “lack of knowledge” of the stars they were interviewing and the soap operas they are famous for, plus several “extremely inappropriate questions.”
“What’s it like to be a black man on a soap opera these days?” Harlow asked “Bold and the Beautiful” star Lawrence Saint-Victor, whom she introduced as “a beautiful chocolate man.”
See video: Watch the Daytime Emmy Awards Livestream
Furlan let loose another major offender while interviewing “General Hospital” star Ryan Paevey.
“We’re going to get you away from us before we rape you,” Furlan said.
Neither Furlan or representatives for the National Academy have yet responded to TheWrap‘s request for comment.
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The comments caused a firestorm on Twitter, with both viewers and soap opera stars criticizing the Daytime Emmy Awards and the women picked to cover its red carpet.
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“General Hospital” star Nancy Lee Grahn referred to the four social media stars as Kardashian “clones,” and advised her colleagues to avoid the red carpet at all costs.
The Red Carpet is “AMAZING” I didnt know the Kardashians had clones. AMAZING! #DaytimeEmmys
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) June 22, 2014
All #GH nominees…RUN AWAY FROM THE RED CARPET! I repeat. Avoid Red Carpet at all costs. Save yourselves!!!
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) June 22, 2014
Grahn’s former “General Hospital” co-star Brandon Barash was also very vocal about his disdain for Furlan, Elizabeth, Harlow and Rosette.
Hey #daytimeemmys maybe hire some red carpet “hosts” w a little less black and rape jokes next year. These girls have the verbal runs.
— Brandon Barash (@BrandonBarash) June 22, 2014
Think I’d rather eat @SHAQ‘s belly button lint than watch those #daytimeemmys red carpet “hosts” again.
— Brandon Barash (@BrandonBarash) June 23, 2014
Here’s what some of the viewers of the livestream had to say:
the SECOND they made that rape joke, they should have been pulled off the carpet. Period. #DaytimeEmmys
– Angela Rynan Durrell (@Rowaenthe) June 22, 2014
The red carpet hosts were the worst. They knew nothing about soaps and wasted time flirting. They shouldn’t host anything. #DaytimeEmmys
– Misty (@missmit) June 23, 2014
The social hosts are hitting on all of the guys. We're not sure they know anything about soap operas. #DaytimeEmmys
– Soaps.com Team (@soapoperafan) June 22, 2014
Watch the controversial red carpet show (Furlan’s rape remark appears about 18 minutes in):