It's perhaps a little ironic that the most talked-about Daytime Emmy Awards show in years was one that wasn't even broadcast on television.

With no network interested in hosting the gala, the ceremony switched this year to an online only show, seemingly goading participants to toss out all usual award show propriety.

Emcee Kathy Griffin revelled in the lax restrictions of the Web-only format, typified by her volley of expletives throughout the show. And award recipients delivered acceptance speeches that went on entirely longer than any TV broadcast would have tolerated.

"Entertainment Tonight" executive producer Linda Bell Blue thanked a long list of producers when her show tied with "Extra" for Outstanding Entertainment News Program -- prompting award presenter Sharon Osbourne to make clear her irritation.

"Finally!" Osbourne said as she took the microphone after the speech. "My lord, I feel like I've been here for five f***ing hours and I only just got here," she said.

"It's not being televised," Osbourne reminded the surprised audience. "Just f***ing get pissed and have a good time."

The entire broadcast seemed to drag on too long for Griffin, who ended the two-hour ceremony 10 minutes early, even though “Young and the Restless” exec producer Jill Farren Phelps was still giving her acceptance speech.

Phelps was running through a long list of thank-yous, and speaking about pride in ownership of the show, when Griffin apparently hit her breaking point and cut in.

"Oh, for Christ's sake with your pride of ownerships. Wrap it up, lady!" Griffin yelled. "If you thank your f***ing dog..."

Perhaps realizing the Daytime Emmys were no longer the cachet event they once may have been, many prominent TV personalities chose to skip it altogether.

Though "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" received its eighth trophy as outstanding entertainment talk show," Ellen herself was nowhere to be seen.

Steve Harvey, who took two trophies for his game-show host work on “Family Feud” and his syndicated talk show “Steve Harvey,” was also noticeably absent.

Katie Couric, whose “Katie” won Best Talk Show Host, also chose not to attend. But then again, she did just get married on Saturday. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who won Best Talk Show Host for his “Dr. Oz” show, also avoided the red carpet, perhaps still stinging from the scolding he received on Capitol Hill last week.

If the reviews are to be believed, the red carpet pre-show was an even bigger disaster than the awards show itself.

TV news website TVLine.com, for example, said the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences owes viewers an apology for the awkward and cringe-worthy event.

The Emmys chose to hire four "social media experts" to host the red carpets, and viewers took to Twitter to chide the inexperienced hosts for their forced enthusiasm, over-the-top flirting and bad attempts at jokes.

At one point, one of the hosts called black "Bold and the Beautiful" actor Lawrence Saint-Victor “a beautiful chocolate man,” while another host swooned over "General Hospital" actor Ryan Paevey, telling him as he walked away: “We’re going to get you away from us before we rape you.”

"The entire thing was a top-to-bottom train wreck," remarked Washington Post entertainment writer Emily Yahr.

But like so many train wrecks, many found it hard to look away: