I love film. I love watching actors that are “artists,”not performers, do their thing. I love good dialogue, riveting plot, beautiful scenery, subtle and yet breathtaking direction.
But I hate watching other people get awards.
It’s not an envy thing, I promise. I just find it all so boring. It’s like watching a party you haven’t been invited to. That? Is not fun to me. I understand the fascination the the Oscars, though I assume seeing your favorite actor or actress get an award for doing a good job is simultaneously made pleasurable by seeing them wear your favorite designer? Hey, I’m not here to judge, only to complain about “not getting it.”
Angelina Jolie happens to be my favorite actress because I don’t live a world where talent and stealing Jennifer Aniston’s husband are somehow diametrically opposed, but I don’t care if the “Academy” thinks she did a good job in whatever movie she was in this year. Was she even in a movie this year? I can’t remember. Not the point.
Who is the Academy, anyway?
Which brings me to the actual point.
An op-ed piece by Jessie Jackson in the Chicago Sun Times answers that question:
A remarkable investigation by Los Angeles Times reporters pierced the screen of secrecy to reveal that the voting members are a stunning 94 percent Caucasian and 77 percent male. Only 2 percent are African American, and less than 2 percent are Latino. Their median age is 62, and only 14 percent are younger than 50.
I notice that Asians don’t even figure in there. I assume because we’re too busy working out Calculus problems, manning call centers or beating our children for not practicing the piano for three hours a day. Furthermore:
In the 83 years of the Academy, the Times reports, only 4 percent of Oscars have been awarded to an African American. Only one woman has received the award for directing.
Maybe it’s not that the Academy Awards bore me.
Maybe it’s that me and those guys don’t think the same things are important?
Film reflects and impact cultural norms. Essentially, it holds the power to highlight the importance of social issues or to diminish them. It’s odd that an entity that’s entrusted with deciding which pieces are most important within this genre lacks ethnic, gender and even “age” diversity.
How much impact do you think an Oscar has upon the popularity and cultural relevance of a film? Is who decides what is “Oscar worthy” important?
Personally I become instantly suspicious of any film that gets an Oscar.It’s sort of like Oprah’s book list. If a book makes it, it can’t be good.
I don’t think because something is popular/acclaimed it’s necessarily not good. Also, don’t you talk about Oprah like that.
Leave it to the dear Reverend to insinuate himself into yet another debate that he has nothing to do with… Personally, I could care less about the Oscars. I watch films that interest me, whether they provide escapism or a broader world view. I’m pretty sure that the “old-er white guys” don’t factor into my decision. I look at films from the perspective of “tell me a story” or “teach me something that I don’t know”. I don’t much care who you are or what color you are.
Our “dear Reverend” doesn’t have anything to do with diversity in organizations? I don’t know if I agree with that. (Surprise!!)
Tee-hee-hee… Of course you don’t. I guess it depends on your definition of diversity. Let’s just say the the dear Reverend has worked for the advancement of an ethnicity..
I wish Hollywood was more culturally diverse, but I’m not shy about queuing up a foreign language film from Brazil or South Korea or Senegal either. So maybe I just don’t notice it as much. I’d say a good third of the films I watch in a given year aren’t made by Hollywood. And that is growing all the time. (I’m obsessed with South Korean cinema at the moment)
No…an Oscar in and of itself doesn’t affect the relevancy of a film for me. I still haven’t seen The King’s Speech from last year or Slumdog Millionaire from 3 years ago. No real reason one way or the other. They just haven’t popped onto my radar when searching for flicks is all.
And it wasn’t the point, but no…Angelina Jolie didn’t have a movie out last year. Other than some voice work in an animated feature. But she did direct a film. A foreign-language film to boot. Pretty cool, if ya ask me.
Slumdog Millionaire is ARGRGRGRGGGH. Don’t get me started. The King’s Speech was excellent. What did she do a voice over for? Kung Fu Panda? And which movie did she direct? Don’t leave me hangin’, bro.
Impact… well, it might have impact if you think the opinion of older ladies saying, “Well, it won an Oscar”, matters. For me personally, I don’t care whether or not a film’s won an Oscar – if it looks good, I’ll see it (eventually). I’m not surprised at who makes up the Academy, though. That’s just flat out depressing, but not surprising.
Faiqa needs to write and direct a film.
Faiqa can barely get a blog post out. Or write sentences in which she does not refer to herself in the first person.
I don’t usually watch award shows anymore, but I admit that the Oscars influence what movies I see, if only because I’m more likely to hear about a movie if it gets Oscar buzz, just like I finally decided to watch Downton Abbey because of all the twitter buzz it was getting (and OHMIGOD IT IS AWESOME. Ahem.)
I think it’s naive and maybe a little self righteous (or something) to say that we watch movies based only on whether the film is good or not – we don’t know if it’s any good until we watch it. We watch movies based on recommendations, and those recommendations come from our sphere of influence.
This is a good reminder to always be evaluating who, exactly, makes up that sphere for us and to, if we value diversity, actively make sure we are widening that sphere.
I really liked that last paragraph… *if* we value diversity… I think a good number of people don’t respect that it’s a viable choice not to value that. Good call.
This explains why I usually roll my eyes a lot during the Oscars. It’s far too predictable. And yet I watch it anyway. I couldn’t even begin to explain why.
There are probably a lot of people, like me, who are very selective about the movies they see who will check out something because of the Oscar buzz — but only due to the fact that they’d never have heard about it otherwise.
And this led me to wonder how many MORE movies we will never hear of because they weren’t deemed Oscar worthy due to the possibly gender/race/age skewed lens with which those who decide worthiness view items as being “important work” or not.
About the only way the Oscars has any influence on me is when some movie I’ve never heard of gets accolades there. This is rare, but it does happen, and I’m grateful to find terrific new films to watch.
Agreed, I’m sure I wouldn’t have watched The King’s Speech if it weren’t for the Oscar.. in fact, it was the ONLY reason I watched it. I *loved* it because it was a terrific movie. And Colin Firth.
I agree that the Academy needs to open up its ranks to the younger more diverse audience that is making and watching movies today. I think I read somewhere a few years ago that they had to still send out VHS screeners because so many of the members didn’t even have DVD players!
I can understand that it started off as being an old white man’s club because of the time period where it started, and once all of those old fuckers start dying off, you’ll see diversity occur organically.
Jesse Jackson, however, is a blowhard and an obnoxious person who just likes to create controversy to pay his bills. I don’t feel like he’s done anything to actually promote diversity – he’s divisive and just absolutely terrible.
But. No. Tell me how you really feel. Remember when he forgot he had the mic on and called President Obama an uppity N-word? That was hysterical!! I will say that I do agree he’s irritating sometimes, but to say he’s not contributed significantly to diversity or racial progress in this country is inaccurate.
What exactly as he done to contribute in any way? He denigrated Jews, said the word “nigger” in a derogatory manner at the time that he was campaigning to remove the word from the English language, supported the “rape” victim in the Duke case who was later found to be lying . . . What one positive thing can you name that he’s done except speak loudly about issues on which he appears to be completely misinformed?
He’s as much a contributor to racial progress and diversity as Nancy Grace is a contributor to women’s rights.
I’m generally unaware of when the awards shows even happen. I like movies that entertain me. Sometimes that’s drama, sometimes it’s comedy. Sometimes entertainment means giving me something to ponder and pontificate on. But mostly what helps me decide which movie I’m going to choose, is length. Remember when the average movie length was ninety-eight minutes, and directors actually had to cut scenes to make the film fit? Those are the ones I like. If a movie approaches (or ugh, goes over) two hours, I’m not likely to watch it, unless I’m at the two-dollar theater, have a baby-sitter and no other plans. Then I’ll watch anything… even “Australia.”
As an avowed fan of the Oscars, I will honestly say that there are not that many best picture winners that deserve the award. Sure the movie is mostly good, but the best?
For me, the last movie that truly deserved to win for best picture was “No Country For Old Men” I’ve liked some of the other movies that have won, but that movie was one of the best made, IMO, and deserves to sit next to the “Casablanca” and “Schindler’s List” films.
Faiqa.. Yes, “No Country For Old Men” had Tommy Lee Jones in it. A great movie, in this movie fan’s eyes.