The esteemed annual Peabody Awards have been announced, compiling a list of the television series and other forms of entertainment for vulgarians that are not slowly lobotomizing the population, essentially. And as always, it’s a smart roster of smart shows, including such A.V. Club favorites as Game Of Thrones, Parks And Recreation, Homeland, Portlandia, and Treme, plus recognition for The Colbert Report’s “Super PAC” segments and a couple of legacy awards for Jeopardy! and Austin City Limits. And as always, the winning shows were further honored by their astute descriptions in the Peabody press release, which somebody always spends a lot of time on and thus they merit sharing with you.


For example, Homeland is “a Rorschach test of post-9/11 doubts, fears and suspicions;” Game Of Thrones is “a multilayered, distinctly imagined world of mysticism and earthiness, fidelity and deceit, wonder and mayhem;” Parks And Recreation “never condescends or caricatures;” Treme’s “storylines snake and swoop like an unhurried jazz jam;” and Portlandia’s “satire is fresh, organic and cage-free,” wink wink. That same somebody obviously also had some fun with Jeopardy (“TV quiz shows for $500, please. ‘Encouraging, celebrating and rewarding knowledge is this Peabody Award winner’s legacy.’ Buzzzzz. ‘What is Jeopardy!?’ Correct”), which mostly makes up for their bizarre blurb insisting that in the South African documentary Intersexions, “The HIV virus itself plays a role as a seductive voice.” Like, “Barry White” seductive, or “thing that gives you AIDS” seductive?