If you’re tired of my moaning about this, then by all means move on to the next post. Otherwise, keep reading and we can all bitch together!
I’ve been giving some more thought to this whole situation of Chris Rock hosting the Oscars this year. To be fair (as a number of people in the comments section pointed out) Rock did do a really fine job hosting the MTV Movie Awards once… but those are just a joke and no one takes them seriously.
I remember not too long ago when the Grammys meant something. People showed up in tuxedos and dynamite dresses. It was an occasion! It was an event! It was the Grammys damit! But then things started to change. A couple of bands showed up one year just dressed as they normally do, like Rock Stars… trying to look cool. In that instant, the Grammys forever changed from being about the night that musicians honor, and were honored by, the music industry. It became just another opportunity for narcissistic self promotion. The next year EVERYONE just dressed up in their on-stage-rock outfits. The Grammys died that year. Today, the Grammys are a complete joke. It’s no longer about the music. Now it’s just about the music industry shamelessly promoting itself… giving out the awards to whoever sold the most records and are the most popular to ensure higher ratings for the show. It’s just flash and glitter now. No substance, no heart, no tradition. It’s just an empty 2 hour MTV rock video now handing out meaningless awards to itself.
The Oscars are the last remaining REAL awards ceremony where they honor the art of moviemaking. Remember when The English Patient won Best Picture (even though no one saw it?). It won because it was the best made film that year, and people in the industry knew it. To hell with what was “popular” or “in”. You think that would EVER happen at the Grammys now? Or 2 years ago when an unknown named Adrien Brody won Best Actor for The Pianist… which didn’t do all that well at the Box Office. How about Roberto Benigni winning all those Oscars for Life is Beautiful? The reason these kinds of films and actors win despite not being “popular” or the “hip” choice is because the Oscars are still about the art! They give the awards to THE BEST MOVIE… not the movie that sold the most tickets.
So when I hear that Chris Rock is hosting the Oscars this year… can you blame me for feeling a little bit worried? To me, it looks like the beginnings of moving the Oscars towards the MTV, all flash no substance, let’s be more hip, fate that ultimately killed the Grammys. How does it make sense to celebrate the achievement of film with a failed film guy steering the ship?
Like I said before, Chris Rock MAY end up doing a terrific job. The show might be wonderful and maintain all it’s integrity and tradition with Rock at the helm of the night. I could be worrying over nothing. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
