Does anyone remember when the popularity of a film was shown by how much people were willing to spend on it in order to see the movie and to own it later on VHS or DVD? The popular film category that is now present in the Oscars ceremony seems to undercut a lot of that since it will be making the Oscars into a popularity contest, even more so than it’s been in the past, and will seem to gladly cut out any chance that other films have when it comes to being rewarded for their contributions to cinema.
As of right now there is a lot of dissent in Hollywood over this matter.
There are more opposed to it than for the change it would seem.
There have been some that have given voice to a positive opinion about this as the award could finally allow those movies that people like to shine instead of allowing the politics and other matters that allow movies of lesser quality or those that people don’t give much consideration to win. One notable example came years back when Avatar was considered a can’t-miss win but was upended by The Hurt Locker, which was an interesting movie to be certain but was definitely not as popular. When The Hurt Locker won out over Avatar a great many people were not only shocked by in fact seemed ready to riot since the politics of the movie industry seemed to be working at full tilt. Yet when Wonder Woman was snubbed during the Oscars recently a lot of people were still outraged for about the same reason. Many people feel that pushing the popular movies will negate the chance to realize the more powerful points of those movies that don’t get the popular vote.
The Oscars are desperately trying to get their viewers back.
You don’t have to look at the numbers to understand that less people have been watching the Oscars over the years and have decided to stay away as the political-based speeches and other rants have been getting a little out of hand. People want to believe that the actors have something important to say, but when it becomes obvious that they’re all about pushing their own agenda while they’re given the the stage it becomes less about the award than it does about what they have to say. It’s perfectly acceptable to thank those that made the award possible and those that helped them get there, but railing about politics and their standpoint on the issues seems to be a bit above and beyond what’s expected or should be allowed (cough, cough, Meryl Streep, cough, hack).
Winning on merit doesn’t seem to be the popular thing right now.
A few movies in the past few years have been lauded as being absolutely brilliant for reasons other than the fact that they are in fact great movies. Black Panther for instance brought a black superhero to the big screen, yet for some reason many people don’t seem to realize that he’s not the first. The memory of the people hasn’t seen fit to include Blade, who came years earlier and is in fact a Marvel hero even though the MCU wasn’t in full swing at that time. Instead we focus on popular movies that are being pushed towards us in a way that makes many forget what has come before and was deemed as something quite special during its time. The merit of many movies is undermined by the popular vote as what is flashy, bright, and new tends to take precedence over that which has come before and in effect laid the groundwork for those movies that are so revered in the current time period.
A steady paycheck is a pretty good reward for a job well done.
Believe it or not there was a time when actors were happy just to get a paycheck and didn’t live like kings and queens that looked out upon the common folk from their castles. It might be time to remind the acting community just where a lot of them came from and why their positions still exist. The people aren’t leaving the Oscars simply because it’s become boring, predictable, and stodgy in a way that suggests a lack of imagination and creative purpose. They’re leaving because the actors seem to have forgotten what it’s like to be grateful for a paycheck and instead see fit to clamber for even more accolades and the wealth that they’ll bring. Perhaps if the actors were actually getting paid what the average viewer is they’d forget about the awards and come to remember that not so long ago they were just like those that go to watch their movies and make them rich.
Maybe it’s time for the Oscars to deliver a reality check to the recipients.
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