Emmy night: The boss was absent and many anchors were away

The Upper Midwest Emmys went about as well as could be expected Saturday with Teresa Vickery, the heart and soul out of the production, out of commission.

The exec director of this chapter is fighting breast cancer. "You know I wouldn't have [missed the event] without a good excuse. Doctor's orders," Vickery said via e-mail. "Chemo throwing me for a loop. Blood counts, all that, fighting fever, not a happy camper, majorly crabby."

Emmy host Jason Matheson said: "Teresa Vickery was sorely missed. Our crew, we kind of felt she was the rudder. We had various people trying to fill her shoes; it was a different type of evening" without Vickery. Best wishes to Vickery and Fox 9 investigative reporter Jacqueline McLean, whose recovery from a stroke was mentioned when former Fox 9 photojournalist Troy Hale won an Emmy.

When I was giving Vickery my post-Emmy report, I couldn't think of a single "bodice issue" worth mentioning. Later, I remembered that Fox 9 anchor Robyne Robinson was doing her best to deliver the cheesecake. Reader Robert J. Niemi of St. Paul will definitely want to check startribune.com/video to see Robinson's sexy, sundress-inspired evening attire. That was more Robinson skin than I've ever seen, but not too much, I don't think.

• The "Shirley Temple curls" on a woman the age of WCCO-TV anchor Jeanette Trompeter got debated on FM107's Kevyn Burger show Monday. While I wouldn't have selected that look for Trompeter, decide for yourselves how you'd describe it after seeing my video. The overly sensitive Trompeter will be crushed that she was being gossiped about when what she should concentrate on is the fact that she had an Emmy in one hand and real estate guy David Azbill on her arm.

• Now let me see if I have this right: Former WCCO anchor John Reger, who was up for an award, flew in from California for the Emmys, but KARE11's Diana Pierce, Julie Nelson and Mike Pomeranz, WCCO-TV's Don Shelby, KSTP's sour puss John Mason and Cyndy Brucato couldn't make it? (WCCO-TV anchors Amelia Santaniello and Frank Vascellaro had a known excuse, a previous commitment to co-host another gala.)

• KSTP-TV morning anchor Art Barron made a point of telling me that he's "an eligible bachelor" when asked the name of the woman who seemed to have been standing near him. Word has it that Barron is also a wonderful dad.

Passolt joked that Leonard had a busy afternoon -- first, Leonard had to fire an intern and then he had to dodge flying glass.

Humor is very subjective, and this subject laughed the loudest about a joke made about KSTP-TV's intern whisperer, Danielle Prenevost. (See my Oct. 23 column.)

• Uproarious laughter filled the Hyatt ballroom for the annual blooper reel that included some golden oldies.

There was former WCCOer Jonathan Elias losing it while doing a story about men with large breasts (or as Adam Platt would call them, moobs.)

And then there was the "Most Famous Blooper of Them All." Former KSTP anchor Mark Suppelsa was throwing it to former reporter Jeff Crilley, who was doing a live shot in Maplewood outside a residence where his presence was not appreciated. Out the front door pops a guy in a Harry Reems mustache carrying a cardboard box that contained a very large, bobbing rubber penis.

Don't try this at home Mr. Magic is poised to become the Twin Cities' favorite magician Thursday morning when he "decapitates" me on the "Fox 9 Morning Show."

Once again, this was not my idea. A couple of months ago, the husband half of "Mid-America's Most Amazing Magicians," mrandmrsmagic.com, said, "How about I cut your head off for Halloween, live on TV?"

I said OK before learning of his maniacal laughter, which can be heard at startribune.com/video. Everybody I've ever annoyed is hoping something goes terribly wrong. Set your TiVos and watch me roll.