Why I Watch the Oscars

As I was winding down last Sunday after a long weekend of working, partying with friends, and struggling through a hangover, I found myself at a loss for how to spend the night. One quick look on social media told me that all the stars were gathering for this year’s Academy Awards so I instinctually thought, “why not?” Then, after a second of reflecting on the embarrassingly poor effort put into the shows of the past, I asked myself an even more important question: why? Why would I watch the Oscars?

After controversies swept through Hollywood like a plague (before the actual plague) such as the #MeToo movement and #OscarsSoWhite, the show began to lose prestige, respect, and hosts. Where once it was cute watching our favorite celebrities get together to tell each other how incredibly talented they all were, it was now sickening to think that supporting the show would mean supporting systemic racial discrimination and sexual abusers. And it was only going to get worse.

After the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, the loss of life and staggeringly high numbers of unemployment that came with it, and the further cultural divisions that emerged throughout 2020, the disconnect between Hollywood and the real world had seemingly never been greater. This in turn meant the effort to appeal to a wider audience and win back the general public’s love would be an uphill climb. Unfortunately, their efforts only become increasingly desperate and the show has lost what little credibility it used to have.

I can completely understand why anyone, even someone with legitimate interest in the entertainment industry, would be turned off from watching the awards. So the question I've been asking myself is:

Why do I watch the Oscars?

Appreciation for the Arts

I think a reasonable starting point for anyone to watch the Oscars is, basically, an appreciation of the arts. At this point in my life, watching the Oscars is almost tradition. I began watching the Academy Awards in 2009 when The Dark Knight had just exploded across the world and changed the landscape for blockbusters as we know it. Of course I was going to watch Heath get his posthumous Oscar! I was also starting to develop a serious appreciation for the cinematic arts around this time. My mother and I went to watch Slumdog Millionaire in theaters and my impressionable young mind truly believed it was one of the best films I had ever seen. I was STOKED to watch it sweep!

As I grew older I began to appreciate film more and realize that perhaps this tiny gold statue is not indicative of superior artistic talent. I understood more that it was basically a popularity contest between Hollywood’s elite and the fun subsided. Still, I continued to watch out of support for artists that I truly thought deserved recognition. Watching somebody win on their first-ever nomination (Jordan Peele, Taika Waititi), finally gain the support they deserved over a long career (Roger Deakins, Guillermo del Toro), or surprise everyone with a dark horse win (Parasite’s Best Picture win) can truly create a magical moment only Hollywood can produce.

Unfortunately, with each passing year the Oscars broadcast has focused more on creating a show that will gain viewership than actually appreciating the art and artists. There was a huge uproar from the general public when The Dark Knight, one of the most critically and financially successful films of all time, didn’t receive a Best Picture nomination. The Academy responded in force by doubling the number of nominees from five to (at most) ten.

Then, a few years later when Black Panther was in a similar situation, the Academy suggested adding a “Best Popular Movie” category. No such suggestion was made when blockbuster films like Titanic, The Lord of the Rings, or The Exorcist garnered numerous nominations and wins. This was a clear attempt at creating a separate-but-equal category for the “black superhero film” and it was met with a justified amount of backlash.

And so we come to the 2022 Awards show where the Academy decided to gut eight award presentations from the live broadcast. Included in these eight were awards for Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, and Visual Effects among others. To say that this decision is insulting would be understating it.

These talented artists working some of the most important roles in the industry ought to get as much a chance to be admired as their peers in front of the camera. Gone are the days when the Academy at least pretended to care for any non-actor winners. The unfortunate transition is complete. So shifts the priorities of the telecasters from appreciation of the arts to pursuing ratings.

Curiosity-What Will They Do This Year?

What truly kept me hooked the first time I watched a live Oscars broadcast was the outstanding opening act by the immaculate Hugh Jackman. The opening of the program was a sprawling musical act parodying several of the nominated films with the welcome addition of surprise guest star Anne Hathaway and an entire troupe of backup dancers.

It was absolutely everything I expected to see in a show celebrating the beauty and excitement of cinema. It was big, bombastic, fun, and exciting. I still hum the tune to the opening musical act from time to time! When next year’s Oscars came around I was bursting with excitement, watched the entire red carpets, and placed myself firmly on the floor right in front of the TV as soon as the show began.

As Jackman’s predecessor, Anne Hathaway tried her best to keep energy levels high but was constantly bogged down by the apathetic, uncanny valley apparition of James Franco that haunted her throughout the night. With even my limited knowledge of Oscars history I could tell this night would go down in history as a very low point. While I’d argue there hasn’t been a host since that has fumbled the job as poorly as Hathaway and Franco, I don’t recall any truly memorable hosting performances either.

Eventually everyone in Hollywood was terrified of taking up the hosting gig out of fear of being quote/unquote “canceled” and they were without hosts for a few years. I was intrigued to see how they would fill the gap and the answer was…not well. With no one to steer the show it was absolute chaos.

At the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, the show opened with a live performance by Queen and Adam Lambert to celebrate Bohemian Rhapsody. Watching an auditorium of multi-millionaires party and dance to a live performance of one of the most prestigious bands in the world felt incredibly tone deaf. When the average viewer is just one click away from watching the entirety of the original Live Aid concert on youtube, there is little to be gained for the watcher at home. Instead, it ended up feeling like watching a rich kid’s birthday party that you weren’t invited to.

Their most recent attempts to reach a general audience have been embarrassingly worse. Besides the fiasco of the “Best Popular Movie” category discussed earlier, there was a unique new addition to the show this year. Including a “fan-favorite moment” Oscar that viewers could vote on from home was engaging for sure but obviously pandering. Ultimately it is just grandstanding to a general audience who can’t recognize the difference between their favorite film and a film with a bit more depth and nuance.

As I continued to watch the Oscars change over the years, I realized the pre-planned, rehearsed moments of the awards show were no longer the showstoppers they once were. Instead, my fascination with the broadcast was now based upon one thing:

Live Surprises

Well…I think this year’s Oscars essentially makes my case for me. The live presentation of the awards can give way to some…unexpected results. Beyond the occasional flub, brash political statement, or VIOLENT PHYSICAL ASSAULT, it is always an absolute blast watching the Oscars struggle to ensure their show is exciting and watchable without completely falling apart. Lately, there have been more than a few surprising snafus that have kept my interest.

Perhaps most famous of all was 2017’s Best Picture presentation incident in which Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were handed the wrong envelope and accidentally awarded La La Land the top prize when the true winner was Moonlight. This was one of the few Oscars I had not watched live and I sure do regret it.

I remember working a late shift at work, watching the live updates as they came through, and struggling to understand what was happening. I was live texting my sister during the program but she had turned it off as soon as the award was handed out. She had only just missed one of the most wild live television events in years. And while I appreciate what La La Land was able to accomplish, I thought Moonlight was one of the most beautiful stories I had seen told on a big screen in years. Like the rest of the world, I was thrilled for the underdog win!

Just a few years later, at the 2021 awards, everyone was preparing themselves for an emotionally devastating victory speech from Chadwick Boseman’s widow Simone Ledward-Boseman for the actor’s posthumous Best Actor Oscar. Boseman’s life was tragically cut short in 2020 by cancer, but not before leaving behind a phenomenal body of work in which he portrayed such legends as Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall as well as being the one and only on-screen depiction thus far of King T’Challa, the Black Panther.

The Awards show built up his win as a sure thing, leaving the award for Best Actor as the last one of the night, a slot usually reserved for the highest honor: Best Picture. Previous Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix, clearly wishing he were somewhere else, presented the final award of the night. The world waited with baited breath as he opened the envelope, read out the name and…it was for Anthony Hopkins!

To make matters worse, Hopkins wasn’t even in attendance! Phoenix awkwardly accepted the award on Hopkins’ behalf, shuffled uncomfortably from the stage and the show just sort of ended. All that build up and suspense for nothing. I can’t imagine many people would argue Anthony Hopkins is a poor actor undeserving of recognition, but to format the show in such an emotionally manipulative manner just to pull the rug out from underneath us was confusing and incredibly unnecessary.

And at long last we arrive at the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony. “The Slap Heard Around the World” is what many people have taken to calling it. This particular moment in television history has been talked to death over the past week and I have nothing new or substantial to add. I will just say that it was an incredibly jarring experience to watch live but damn did it pique my interest. And knowing that his Best Actor win was only minutes away from this moment was the icing on the cake.

So...will I watch the Oscars again?

At the end of the day, I’ve decided that I will keep watching the Oscars broadcast. Though there are many MANY reasons why I shouldn’t, it’s just too exciting an opportunity to ignore. You may know who will win going in, but there have been more than enough surprises throughout the years to keep me on my toes.

Do I expect the show to improve at all? Not in the slightest. I don’t know if I’ve seen a single telecast that I’ve enjoyed since Hugh Jackman. Though I may have my issues with the way the show is handled, especially in regards to how it treats certain awards categories as “lesser” than others, I have found a lot to enjoy while watching the show. I’ve decided to forego my attachment to the idea that these shows are in any way highlighting artistry and embrace the fact that it is a raging dumpster fire that is getting more unhinged and ridiculous with each passing year.

I was hesitant to watch but after this year, I don’t think I’ll ever miss an Academy Awards broadcast again.