Why I Don't Watch the Oscars

It's that time of year when Hollywood is full of talk about who's up for what award—yes, Oscar season is upon us. I have never been a big fan of award shows except The Tony's and I will explain why later on. However, I have a reason why I don't watch The Oscars.

I don't watch The Oscars because I find evaluating artistry a foolish and fruitless endeavor. Now, this isn't to say that film and art is entirely subjective. I think many of us can recognize good acting from bad acting, a great film versus a B-Movie. It comes to when we rate the best of the best that things get hairy.

When someone says "Best Actor," we immediately run into trouble. Why? Because each of us will have our own idea about who is the "Best Actor." Some people think Meryl Streep is the best actor, some prefer Robin Williams or Al Pacino, or they may be like me who prefers Seth MacFarlane. The point is, we all have a different perception of what makes a great actor.

It's not only this but it's also unfair to compare actresses and runs counter to what makes movies great. Movies thrive because different actors bring their unique gift and artistry to a project. Meryl Streep cannot do what Robin Williams or Al Pacino does, and Robin Williams and Al Pacino can't do what Meryl does. Who's best? They're all great and they all bring a unique level of artistry to the films we love the most. Meryl Streep is the best at being Meryl Streep but to say she's the best actor seems a bit of a stretch.

Films that have won in categories like "Best Score" are even more difficult to evaluate. How do you begin to even evaluate something as abstract as the score of a film? Yes, we all love memorable soundtracks from our favorite films. The Indiana Jones score is iconic but how do we decide that it's better than the score from Lord of the Rings or The Titanic beyond opinion?

The same is true for scores of movies as it was for actors. The scores we love are fantastic because they offer something that helps tell their stories in the ways that we love.

Lastly, unlike The Tony's where the actors and crew are judged for their ability to create and exist in a secondary reality in real time, The Oscars evaluate the most polished scenes of countless takes. There is very little need to create something fresh on film more than a few times. For actors in a Broadway show, they have to make sure that the show is fresh and like they're saying the same lines they've said for eight performances a week sometimes for months or weeks at a time as if they've only just said them for the first time.

In 2012, audiences were blown away by Anne Hathaway's performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" in Les Miserables. This, of course, is a very moving scene and arguably one of the better parts of the film, in my opinion. It's not the same as the actress on Broadway who also plays Fantine and has to bring that same level of intensity to the performance each night.

All in all, I think we delude ourselves into believing we've actually accomplished something by holding The Oscars. That the best of the best really are somehow all accounted for. That in some way we deserve the unwarranted pat on the back of another great human accomplishment. We should embrace artistry in all of its expression. Let's not award actors or films but let's applaud artistry, unique and powerful artistry.