The Problem With the Oscars (2024)

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE OSCARS? [LONG]
TEN PROBLEMS AS I SEE THEM:

The Academy Awards happen tonight. The Oscars used to be something really special. But it’s diminished in recent years, and now, I’m not nearly as excited.

My despair is a sad thing because I grew up with the Oscars. From the earliest time I can remember, I watched the Oscars every year. I used to dream of being up there one day. I grew up loving movies and the Oscars was a sort of cinematic Super Bowl. In fact, I’ve watched every Oscars telecast since 1973 (except for two years when I lived overseas).

Sentiment aside, this year marks the first time in my life I’m not excited about the Oscars. Yeah, I’ll still watch. But the glamour is diminished, and perhaps gone forever. The Oscars don’t seem to mean as much anymore. And if the academy is losing viewers like *me* that should be a red flag with alarm bells. With each passing year, it’s become more difficult to maintain the genuine reverence I’ve always felt for Oscar night.
Here are the problems, as I see them:

1. The Embarrassments — Remember that jaw-dropping moment a few years ago when the WRONG winner was announced for Best Picture (“La La Land”–which should have won–was mistakenly announced when the winner was actually “Moonlight,” a film almost nobody saw)? The biggest moment of the year in Hollywood and they can’t even announce the correct winner. What a fiasco. Then, actor Will Smith disgraced himself in one if the most ridiculous displays ever on live television. Angered by a pedestrian Chris Rock joke, Smith lost his shit and stormed onto the stage and in front of millions viewers punched the host. A memorable television moment? Certainly. But Smith should have been arrested and charged with assault. These (and other) humiliating episodes turned the Oscars from what used to be a Cinderella Ball into the Jerry Springer Show. Sadly, Oscar has lost it’s luster and it might be impossible to get that aura back again.

2. Viewer Stratification — For the first 90 years of Academy Awards, seeing a movie required going out to the theatre. Indeed, going to the movies was the big night out. Something special and the highlight of the week. Then, streaming services became popular and are now the dominant platform for viewer entertainment. Most of us watch movies on television over various subscription platforms. While this is clearly more convenient for viewers overall, it also kills the majesty of movies and suffocates the shared experience of interacting with a live audience. Call me old fashioned, but the jokes are funnier when other people in the audience are laughing along with me. Moreover, most of us don’t have all the streaming services necessary to watch each of the long list of nominees, so there are movies we’ve never seen, nor heard of. And why should I care? This is a problem when a sizable percentage of the audience hasn’t seen the nominees in a major category. Once upon a time, we used to know *all* the major actors and their movies. Now, many of us can’t name *any* of them.

3. Overt Politicization — I could (and should) write a lengthy blistering column about politics in entertainment because I tend to be a strong advocate for movies as a force of social change. Such has been the case in the past. Who can forget Marlon Brando refusing the Oscar in a protest for Native American rights? Or Vanessa Redgrave’s divisive speech on behalf of the Palestinians? Or major breakthroughs in Hollywood by minorities, women, gays, and foreign-based winners? The problem is — now it seems EVERY year (and award) is packed with gratuitous politics. EVERY speech seems to be a political manifesto. Yes, some of this is appropriate. Save that for the best documentary category. But not, all the time. Indeed, political issues are important. But not to the point where the volume is blaring at 11 and blasting out the eardrums of our patience. Politics should not eclipse entertainment–and this comes from someone who is more political than just about anyone.

4. Mangled Remembrance Tributes — Okay, so this is my major pet peeve. In a nearly four-hour live telecast, you’d think the Oscars might spend more than just a couple goddamned minutes speeding through the flash reel of deceased icons in the movie industry over the past year. But recent remembrances have raced through the “tributes” like the projectionist has to rush off to the bathroom. Please — can we get more than 1.2 seconds on bona fide legends including Harry Belafonte and William Friedkin this year? After all, the show allows little-known presenters and even the winners to ramble on incessantly, stumbling over blank deer-in-the-headlights stares and awkward attempts at lame humor. Doing the “fast and furious” thing with the dead people’s tribute is DISRESPECTFUL. Oh, and I’ve seen and heard enough of John Legend sitting at a piano. Yeah these moments can be powerful but not when they overshadow careers and lifetimes of accomplishment. Years ago, I used to get a lump in my throat and tear up at this point in the show. Now, I’m screaming at the TV. It’s a disgrace what happened to this special moment on Oscar night. Fucking fix it, you morons. Do it right, or don’t do it at all. I’m livid at what they’ve done to the tribute reel.

5. Hollywood Scandals — The movie industry shot themselves in the face many times. Yeah, we always kinda’ knew moviemaking was a dirty business, and scandal has been a part of the industry since the beginning (but it’s certainly no worse than religion, and politics, and capitalist business culture–so please shut the fuck up with your moral protestations). But then dirty laundry started coming out about ten years ago on the biggest names in the business and since then everyone’s been tainted with the linger stench of scandal. For decades, Harvey Weinstein’s ass was Hollywood’s favorite lip magnet. Mostly born of fear and dominance of Miramax as the gorilla of producers, Weinstein was one of the most powerful men in entertainment. Then, his acts were exposed as part of the #MeToo movement and we must wonder — how many other Weinstein’s are there? Several other big names also were caught up in the social media dragnet (some deservedly so, others not so much). These scandals — from Weinstein to Kevin Spacey, from Woody Allen (which may not belong here) to Paul Haggis (who does belong here) — did significant harm to Hollywood’s image and the prestige of the Oscars.

6. Terrible Hosts — I’m glad Jimmy Kimmel is hosting this year. The ceremony works best when one widely-known host who is good at ad libbing and knows the Hollywood culture is the anchor of the broadcast. Recall the earlier Oscars with Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and Billy Crystal (in my opinion, the best ever). Unfortunately, the Oscars crashed off the rails in the last 20 years. Ellen Degeneres (who is otherwise an excellent stand up comedian and talk show host) was cringeworthy. Whoopi Goldberg was a disgrace. But no one was worse in Oscar history than James Franco, who was inexplicably picked one year and seemed to be high on dope the entire time. I guess Franco knew what he was getting into and needed to plow himself with meds to do the job. I’m sick of the pandering—-just stick with an anchor personality who is solid. Stick with what’s worked — one well-known experienced host. Out.

7. Too Many B-Listers — Every year, it seems I’m asking more often, “who in the fuck is that?” Celebrities, my ass. The presenters come onto the stage, and many of us have never heard of them nor the movie they appeared in. I admit some of this ignorance is age-related. But to be a presenter — a coveted role and probably the best 3 minutes any actor could ever get for publicity — it seems most of the industry should know who in the holy freakin’ hell they are! Making things worse for viewers, the forced humor in these presentations is often horrendous. Hey people you got 3 minutes to make an impression and you’re standing there on the stage in the biggest moment of your life stumbling over the teleprompter while pulling up your bra? Get the fuck out of here! The last thing I want to see is two B-listerers I’ve never heard of rattling off insider jokes written by a clueless loser and then finally after the torturous boredom giving us the long list of nominees for “Best Sound Editing.” Fuck that in the fucking ass!. With boring categories, at least pick people who are fun, interesting, and well-known. Sweet Jezzzzzzus, whatever happened to Jim Carrey as either the host or a presenter? Help!

8. The Wrong Winners — I’ve nearly broken living room furniture when some of these winners were announced. I already brought up “La La Land” losing to “Moonlight.” But then there’s Casey Affleck winning the Best Actor Oscar, which is sorta’ like the brown suit with mustard stains in the closet next to the tuxedo. That guy couldn’t act his way out of a high school musical. Yeah, let’s do a list of “Best Actors,” shall we: Casey Affleck has won MORE BEST ACTOR OSCARS than — Ian McKellen, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Willem Defoe, Peter O’Toole, Ralph Feinnes, Edward Norton, Harrison Ford, and I could name 25 more….COMBINED. Many winners in recent years have been awful. They shouldn’t have even been nominated. Yeah, opinions are subjective, but this problem is only getting worse. Casey Affleck. Fuuuuuuuck!

9. Stupid Gimmicks — Oscar telecasts have included many eye-rolling moments. Remember the stupid Ellen Degeneres “selfie” that seemed to take forever to stage? Or, the dumb idea to lead a bunch of clueless tourists into the auditorium during a live show? Or the stale dance routines that suck oxygen from the room? Academy Awards should be about movies — not comedy skits that fall flat.

10. Focusing Too Much on Diversity — I’ll get hammered for making this statement, but in an effort to make up for decades of exclusion and discrimination, the Academy is overcompensating to the point where it harms the overall presentation. Yes, there are still some glaring voids in the movie industry (most notably, the omission of female directors as nominees) and that demands attention and correction. However, must every winner come with the patronizing packaging of being the “First Black” this or the “First Asian” that? I get it. We love those Sidney Poitier moments. Most of us just want to watch good movies and applaud deserving winners. Every category and winner shouldn’t be a litmus test on where we are as a culture on matters of diversity. Yes, diversity is essential and makes the movie industry far better. But there are only so many Spike Lee speeches I can listen to. Most of us like hot coffee, but we don’t want it scalding. Yeah, beat me up for that. But I’m sticking to it.

Finally, I’m of the opinion that movies should *not* reflect mediocrity and mainstream culture. It should often push boundaries. It should challenge the conventional thinking. But you can’t hammer viewers ceaselessly over the head. The best movies don’t just entertain us or inspire us to be better. The great movies do both.

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Note: I am not betting on the Oscars this year because I saw few of the films and performances that were nominated.