Well. At least it used to be.
Over the past few years, the Oscars have shown a complete lack of focus. They up the nomination count for best picture from 5 to ten (then inexplicably back down to 9) just so they can include mediocre blockbusters like Avatar and District 9. This also leads to a complete breakdown in subcategories. If Toy Story 3 is nominated for best film, why have a best animated film category? The movies nominated against it already lost before the show even began. Gimmicks like having younger hosts is only trumped by the gimmick of a returning "Classic" host. Where's the commitment?
This is all done with the intention of drawing a younger crowd. The audience skews old. They want that 18-35 male demographic that spends $60 a week on video games. By altering the format, they have turned what should be a celebration of art into little more than a runway show. The Oscars will and should always skew old, because it plays on our nostalgia for old Hollywood.
After the nominations are announced, the honored films see a spike in interest and revenue. There's a certain pride that comes with seeing as many of the nominated films as possible. However, this year's list does little to motivate that action. There are far too many mediocre films rounding out the list. There's even a flick with a less than 50% overall critical rating. Most discouraging, is the exclusion of this year's most interesting and daring film, Drive, which was no doubt left out for it's extreme violence, which many felt was unwarranted.
But, what do I know? I'm not a member of the Academy, unlike:
- Beyonce
- Russel Brand
- Bradley Cooper
- Ellen Page
Yep, those are just a handful of the people responsible for handing out the industry's top prize.
So, forget the Oscars. The Artist is going to win, anyway.
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