Awards Fatigue

I’m a big fan of magazines. There’s just something about the glossy pages and the pictures and stories that get my attention and hold it. I actually look for ways to get free subscriptions, and have found several of them through the years. If you look, you can find them. I have had one for an arts and crafts journal, a surfing magazine, TIME magazine, a few different music ones, and I have even gotten some for my wife like Women’s Day and Glamour. In her defense, she never asked for those, I did it thinking of her, and while she appreciated the gesture, that last one just wasn’t really her cup of tea--not because she isn't fashionable or beautiful--she just didn't need a magazine to tell her how. Oh well.

One that I have actually paid for and subscribed to for almost ten years now is Entertainment Weekly. I know, it’s very superficial, and I must admit that my fascination for the entertainment world is probably bordering on “vice” level for me. With Music, Movies, and even Novels being such a big obsession hobby for me, EW tends to keep me informed about what’s going on in those worlds. I discovered that with three children, my awareness of what’s new or even good has gotten considerably smaller.

There is about a three-month period every year where I dread getting my EW magazine. It starts about the last week of November, and runs through the last week of February. In that twelve-week period, there are at least eight or nine covers of the magazine committed to the various awards shows such as the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and of course, The Academy Awards. What’s really bad is that all the awards shows pretty much mimic each other, and so you pretty much get the same magazine for that time, only the page order is shuffled, and the dresses the actresses wear change. Other than that, I don’t really see the difference.

We get told over and over how “important” these movies/films are, (apparently the difference is whether or not they actually make money--if it brings in the cash, but the critics don’t like it then it’s a “movie,” if it doesn’t make money, but the critics seem to have enjoyed it, they call it a “film”) and how “ground-breaking” the performance of the actors is, but I wonder if at the end of the day, it’s really just another way that the Hollywood culture tries to keep themselves as the Idols of our day?

It’s not very subtle, you know. The actors, directors, and producers make sure their names are all over the movie posters and advertisements, and then they actually campaign to win for some of those awards shows. Then, in almost every case, they get some sort of gold statue to designate their win. These little statues represent the idols we have made of the people who win them. It’s kind of pathetic, really.

Now, I love movies and TV. I will be the first to admit that I enjoy the escape that they offer when the day has been stressful. I like to unwind by spending about two hours living vicariously through the actions and circumstances unfolding on the screen in front of me. I’ll even go so far as to say that I appreciate them for their entertainment value. But I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the fact that we make these people “heroes,” and we act like their opinions on politics, global events, and the economy are worth more than other people. (For the record, an actor who earns anywhere from five to ten million dollars for being in a movie should NEVER be allowed to criticize or join in on a conversation about a “failing” economy. Just my humble opinion.)

If we keep an appropriate level of respect for the actors and actresses for doing their job of entertaining us, and even transporting us to a world of make-believe, or portraying a real story in a way that captivates us, then we are appreciating and recognizing their talents. Nothing wrong with that. It’s the over-the-top, regal treatment that gets me. Where are the awards shows for the nameless researchers who have contributed to the advances towards defeating cancer? What about the people who work hard to bring home a modest income only to turn around and give much of it away as they sponsor and work for charitable organizations? Who will foot the bill for a national telecast of awards given to policemen and firemen who daily put themselves in dangerous situations for the sake of others?

I guess the basis of my rant comes down to this: Jesus simply said, “...Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) This passage tells us that we are not to elevate ourselves above others. The Apostle Paul gives another branch to this thought in Philippians 2:3 when he writes “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” When I read these, I see no trouble or conflict if I choose to encourage someone, or show appreciation to them for a job well done. I don’t see any problem in being touched or blessed by what someone else has done. But it seems to me that to seek out approval or to campaign for the acclaim of others is not in line with these passages.

I guess I just wish that hollywood would use it’s influence in a different way. I wish they would just take a less selfish point-of-view. When there is obviously a large group of people who look to what these celebrities are doing and jump behind whatever cause they are paid to endorse, it just seems to me that there is an opportunity to reach out and offer hope in a time where many are without. It would be really cool if more of these millionaires put up some of their own cash to support causes that really make an impact and better the lives of people on a basic needs level. (I love dogs, but if half of the Animal Rights Celebrity money went to hunger or homeless causes, what kind of change could be made?)

Yes, that’s an idealistic dream at best, but if movies can feature love triangles between werewolves, vampires, and humans, while fighting evil wizards and transforming robots, while a group of old toys looks for a new home on FaceBook where they discover a support group for psychotic ballerinas, boxers, comic-book heroes, and Gritty cowboys, that all meet in a building that can bend and fold itself, then why not hope for a different output from this hollywood machine?