The Plight Of The Male Plus One

The Plight Of The Male Plus One
Meryl Streep (L), winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for 'The Iron Lady', and husband Don Gummer arrive at the Governor's Ball after the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO/ Valerie Macon (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)
Meryl Streep (L), winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for 'The Iron Lady', and husband Don Gummer arrive at the Governor's Ball after the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO/ Valerie Macon (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images)

Here’s a game to play during this Monday’s Emmy red carpet show. Keep an eye out for the Plus Ones.

Plus Ones are guests of the stars, writers, and industry bigwigs who are the Emmys’ main event. I first heard the phrase 15 years ago when I attended the Emmys for the first time with my wife Jenji Kohan, long before she created Weeds or Orange Is the New Black. At dinner afterwards, someone at our table -- either the boyfriend of an actress or another writer’s husband—pulled out his invitation and happily identified himself by the words printed in tiny lettering at the bottom, below the calligraphed name of the invitee, near the information about limo drop-offs: Plus One.

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