(CNN) You could be excused for mistaking last night's 69th annual Emmy Awards for a Comedy Central election-night special. After all, there was Stephen Colbert, the man who -- with Jon Stewart -- put "fake news" on the map long before the Trump Administration was a twinkle in Vladimir Putin's eye. And there were Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon, accepting golden trophies for their cutting and hilarious depictions of President Trump and his chief 2016 campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, on "Saturday Night Live." But the moment that parody congealed into self-parody was obvious to anyone watching the show from home, and many who were there attending in person.Jeff Yang: This year's Emmys turned from parody to self-parody when Sean Spicer took the stageThe moment highlighted a dangerous blurring of news, entertainment and comedy, writes Yang
Which is why the Emmys enabling _'s rehabilitative return to the national stage was so ugly. _ proceeded to do a quick bit in which he mocked himself hyping Trump's overinflated inaugural headcount, before being dismissed by Colbert saying, "Melissa McCarthy, ladies and gentlemen." Spicer proceeded to do a quick bit in which he mocked himself hyping _'s overinflated inaugural headcount, before being dismissed by Colbert saying, "Melissa McCarthy, ladies and gentlemen." _ was the mouthpiece of a president who will likely go down as one of the nation's worst. _'s practices, which have vastly harmed our democracy, have been brilliantly exposed and savaged through comedy.