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As to Ms. Havrilesky's question as to whether or not Academy members watch T.V. the answer is probably less than she does.
The Academy is made up of professionals in the field of television production, that's writers, actors, producers, soundpeople, makeup people, set construction people, essentially those that can, and thusly do.
As they say those who can do, those who cannot critique.
For acting nods (as well as some other categories) the votes of professionals in that field are weighted more heavily than those of academy members not in those fields. As such Actors have more of a vote in who is the best Actor on T.V. than say writers, directors or producers. The purpose of this is to avoid mediocre actors with fantastic writers and directors from receiving the acting award, when really it should go to the writer or director who set up the performance for the actor.
I do not watch 2 1/2 Men on any regular basis, though the few times I have watched it, it seemed a wacky sit com romp. Nothing to make me tune in every week, but enough to make me turn to it if nothing else is on, nothing about the show makes it unwatchable.
Now if I am to take Heathers assessment of the show, that it is absmaly written, then this can only raise the status of the comedic chops of the stars among other actors.
The Best Actor isn't the actor with great lines and a fantastic director, it is the actor who can take mediocre material and turn it in week after week as something to watch and entertain millions.
The more Ms. Havrilesky and her ilk deride the show itself, the more she makes the case that the Actors involved deserve special consideration by the academy.
