It's time to recognize what the Oscars are, not hope they will be something different.
Everyone has heard the news that the Academy Awards will present awards for Best Editing and Best Cinematography during commercial breaks this year, and there has been plenty of outrage among the community.
The outrage is quite frankly, a bit of a surprise.
The Shawshank Redemption. Psycho. Taxi Driver. Singin in the Rain. Se7en.
All those movies won ZERO Oscars.
Alfred Hitchcock in fact never won Best Director.
The list can go on and on. The most influential camera work, and editing is rarely honored. Filmmaking is a craft, an art, and a business. The "results" are subjective. What people like varies. Sometimes people dislike something and years later it is recognized as a work of genius. Some of the greatest artists are never celebrated in their own time.
Why do we expect the Oscars, a nationally televised celebrity event, to reflect the actual quality and impact of the art form?
We shouldn't. It almost seems weird that anyone would still be surprised that the Academy Awards is a ratings hunt, and not even a particularly effective one at that. It would make more sense for the awards to hand out a 'best dressed' award than a best editing award. It's not really in line with the goals, and the values, of the event itself.
We should spend less time hoping that the Oscars changes what it's about, and more time focusing on the types of events, and movies, that push the envelope and inspire us to create.
The best movies or the year don't always win awards.
My advice? Turn off the Oscar telecast this year, and turn on a lesser known film that people are buzzing about, and celebrate the craft that way.
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5 Comments
I think most people stopped taking the Oscars seriously the year that "An Inconvenient Truth" won best doc. It's 100% political now, and unworthy of anyone's time or interest.
February 12, 2019 at 1:17PM
I think it's belittling to those behind the camera on countless projects each year to suggest that validation in this craft only comes through televised awards shows.
February 12, 2019 at 2:17PM
After this announcement, the Oscars should finally be put to rest. Everything gets corrupted with time, it's human nature. We should all vote to pick a new name, perhaps the Alfreds (see article's comment about Hitchcock) and start a new venue that celebrates the work behind the art of storytelling. This new event should be made by filmmakers for filmmakers, not a comedy show nor a fashion show. Sorry Oscar but it's time to pass on the baton, you've been running too long and certainly in the wrong direction.
February 12, 2019 at 8:56PM
Quite frankly I think the Oscars should be banned completely. Apart from cheap language, child pornography, racism, sexist and political ranting, it really had nothing to offer. And there is no transparency in the selection and some of the best names have been overlooked for the longest. Just ban the Oscar's.
February 13, 2019 at 8:57AM
APART from cheap language... (etc)?
Surely you mean "When you consider cheap language...(etc)". The way you phrase it, it sounds like cheap language (etc) is the only thing you LIKE. Or is this just an example of our postliterate society?
February 15, 2019 at 7:28PM