Every year the Oscars come around and every year there’s at least some backlash as Jon Fuge of MovieWeb alludes to, and this year is no different. If anyone’s been keeping track, and those of us writing these articles certainly are, Hollywood has been losing a fair number of actors in the past year and it’s been easy to notice since several of them have been fan favorites in recent decades. Cameron Boyce, Sid Haig, and Luke Perry were all names that many believed would be included in the “In Memoriam” feature of the awards show, and yet somehow, some way, they were missing, and as one might expect, fans were more than a little shocked, they righteously pissed. Common sense states of course that not everyone can be remembered since it would take the length of the show, or at least a good chunk of it, to really do justice to all those that have passed on. But a mention at the very least, especially for the three actors mentioned herein, would have been respectful, especially since Luke Perry was in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which netted Brad Pitt his first Oscar. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Cameron Boyce was a Disney sensation, and that Sid Haig has more credits to his name than many people that have passed on, and was an icon in the horror industry. Leaving them off the list didn’t just feel wrong, it felt like a serious snub deserving of the backlash that it received on social media.
Now the one thing that could possibly make up for this and make the lot of those that have spoken out against it feel about an inch high would be if the actors were about to be given posthumous honors that would put to shame a mention at the show, but until that happens it’s likely that the Oscars are going to continue to be the running joke that they’ve been for a number of years now. The reason behind this statement of course is multi-faceted largely because looking at how the show is run, how prestigious the lives of the stars are, and how much they already have, it’s the type of show that congratulates those that have already reached a major achievement in life by giving them a statue and saying ‘good job on making your millions’. Isn’t the fact that they make millions enough at that point? Some would obviously argue the case for the Academy awards but many of us are still likely to be watching from afar and trying to reason why being paid so much isn’t reward enough for the kind of work that actors do. Gene Seymour from CNN has more to say on the matter.
In any case, the snub is one that’s likely going to last for a little while since fans of the fallen actors have already spoken out and are likely to remember this next year. It’s true enough that trying to honor every actor that’s fallen within the past year can be tough since in 12 months’ time it is possible for many people to pass on due to various causes, though in the case of those that are still fairly young as Cameron was it’s considered a tragedy since the loss of such potential is in fact regretful. Those actors that were fighting illnesses and finally succumbed are just as tragic, but the feeling with several of them is that they fought long and hard, and before that were granted a chance to have a successful and memorable career, allowing many people to accept the end eventually. It’s never easy to see a person pass on, especially someone that has touched so many in their lives with their contributions to entertainment, but remembering them is still important, and despite the snub at the Oscars, which many will continue to rant and rave about no doubt, these three actors and the many others that have passed will be remembered fondly since their careers were great enough that people will continue watch their performances and remember back to a time when they were at their peak. The fact that the Oscars managed to leave them out, for whatever reason, is worth forgetting at this point since the awards show has become something of a running controversy that many are growing tired of.
There are so many things that can be said about the awards shows these days and little of it is positive given the feelings that exist between the rich and the poor, but thankfully it’s easy for people to simply enjoy the show, watch their favorite stars parade about in outfits that cost more than the average person’s car, and give acceptance speeches that should being and end with “thank you” instead of being long-winded ordeals that last entirely too long. Some folks are willing to shut their brains off when watching the stars congratulate themselves, while others are more likely to notice when certain respect isn’t given that should be.
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