I Don’t Lose any Sleep Over not Catching Annual Oscar Buzz
Few public events drew as huge an audience as does the Big Night in Hollywood!
The movie stars, designer outfits, rumors of who’s dating whom these days, suspense, acceptance speeches and those glorious golden statues: The annual Academy Awards ceremony certainly has it all. This tradition goes back 96 years.
Who wouldn’t find themselves glued to the television to catch every last moment? Well, me for one. I can proudly declare that I haven’t devoted any time to watching an Academy Awards broadcast in probably 30 years.
Mind you, I used to be a big fan. I’d race home from work on the chosen Monday evening (remember when this was the official day of the week for the Oscars?), prepare something nice for dinner and settle in for a night of glitz and glamour.
The program would keep me up way past my regular bedtime, but I’d stick with it until the very end. And then I’d wake up early the next morning feeling like I need another couple of hours of sleep and wondering why I still do this.
One year, I opted not to put myself through it all. This came after weighing what benefits there were to staying up so late to see who won what awards against continuing my usual routine of getting a decent amount of sleep.
It’s no surprise that getting more sleep won that argument. I could no longer justify sacrificing a night of solid rest to discover who would be handed all those Oscars.
Once I decided to sit out that year’s Academy Awards, I wondered if I would end up missing this tradition. I didn’t — at all! I felt no emptiness the next day because I didn’t hear any of the speeches from the winners or see any of the cutaway shots of those who didn’t win.
Listening to the radio on my way to work, I learned who won in all the major categories. And that’s all that really interested me anyway. The gowns and tuxes, Red Carpet parade, dramatic music, humorous quips from presenters and brief clips of nominated movies have failed to lure me back.
Given how quickly information now spreads on the interwebs (aka the Information Superhighway — does anyone recall that phrase?), finding out who won what awards is even easier today. Scroll along a social media platform for a few moments, and you’re bound to see someone posting the latest Oscar news.
There, problem solved! I don’t need to watch the Academy Awards to find out who’s receiving the Oscars. And I won’t have to wait until the next day to soak in all this information either.
I finally figured out why the Academy Awards doesn’t interest me any longer: This event is not about films; it’s about celebrities.
Yes, movies serve as the backdrop for the annual presentation. But ultimately, it’s about celebrity preferences.
What celebrity actors do most other celebrities like best in a starring role? What celebrity-produced films do celebrities enjoy watching the most? What celebrity directors do other celebrities believe created the finest work?
I realize that it isn’t just celebrities who make decisions about the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is made up of 9,905 voting members from numerous fields, and they oversee the 23 categories.
But let’s face it. What draws so many people to watch the Academy Awards each year is all the celebrities. Remove them from the picture, and you’re not likely to attract too many eyeballs.
As a society, we’re obsessed with celebrities. We watch television programs reporting on what celebrities are doing. We read stories from magazines and newspapers filled with celebrity gossip.
And I don’t know why. Who cares? I’m not acquainted with any of these people, so the saga of their overly dramatic lives is of no concern to me. I have my own problems, thank you very much.
In addition, all this voyeurism is unhealthy. Many celebrities are narcissists who crave constant attention. We feed their habit by giving it to them.
I also don’t care if the movies and actors I wanted to see win the Oscars aren’t selected. In fact, I no longer make a list of ranked “favorites.” Picking winners is a waste of time.
So how should people fill their time if they’re not going to watch the Academy Awards ceremony? Here’s an idea: How about catching a movie? Or, given the growing length of time that the annual presentation takes up, two movies?
Films teach us about ourselves and about life. What has an Academy Awards event ever taught you? Seems to me this should an easy choice for movie buffs.