2001 A memorable post-9/11 ceremony The ceremony was cancelled twice, finally airing Nov. 4. Host Ellen DeGeneres was introduced by Walter Cronkite via recorded message. DeGeneres got a lot of mileage out of the awkwardness of the industry throwing a party for itself at that time, with lines such as, “[the terrorists] can’t take away our creativity, our striving for excellence, our joy. Only network executives can do that.” She added, “I’m in a unique position as host because, think about it: What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?”

Source: Los Angeles Times September 17, 2018 22:52 UTC