"This is one night I wish I smoked and drank."
-- Grace Kelly, Best Actress, Academy Awards, 1955
And The Oscar Goes To...
This Sunday night (tonight).., is the biggest night in Hollywood -- The Oscars! And every year, some artists will walk away with a small gold statue.., and a dream fulfilled…Regardless of what you think of Hollywood, or the celebrities that inhabit the "land of broken dreams..," They are people like you and I, trying to achieve -- the impossible. People with all kinds of different talents, from acting, directing, producing, writing, set design, editing, score (music), lighting, sound, special effects, etc., etc…
And they all started with a dream…
And Sunday night -- Oscar night.., some of those people will walk away victorious, with that shiny gold statue.., and an even brighter future to come -- a dream realized… The pinnacle of success, the very top in your field, is something many, if not most of us, can relate too… Being the best at whatever you do, feels pretty damn good.., but being acknowledged for it -- feels even better! Knowing all your hard work, hours of sacrifice.., were not in vain.
Of course, most of us don't get awarded a shiny gold statue, named Oscar.., in front of not only the biggest celebrities in the world.., but tens of millions of people tune in… But why do we watch… Why do take 4-5 hours out of our lives to watch, while many will inevitably -- complain was too long, boring, uneventful -- every year… Why do we willingly subject ourselves to this "self-imposed" torture… Surely we have better things to do (like be on Steemit) than watch a bunch of outrageously paid pretty people fawn all over themselves…
I never thought this would ever happen." --
Hillary Swank, Best Actress, Million Dollar Baby, 2004
There is something about Oscar Night -- The ACADEMY AWARDS.., that is special -- whether you admit it or not… Much like the Super Bowl or World Cup.., people gear up for the Oscars… There are parties held from Hollywood to Jersey and everywhere in between, where friends will gather to watch and wait, to see if their favorite walks away with the most recognized trophy in the world.., and hopefully a few laughs… Champagne will be popped.., and shots pounded… Beautiful spreads of tasty bites will be devoured, from The Governors Ball in Hollywood, to Joes Pub downtown. All watching.., and experiencing much of the same, being social -- human fucking contact…
For some, not many.., it will be a night always to be remembered… A night recalled with thoughtful gratitude and great pride. I only said some because they never actually know how many of theses dreams will be granted until the last envelope is opened on Oscar night.., they make 50 statuettes each year and hand out about 34… And they are 13 1/2 inches, weigh 8 1/2 pounds, once made with solid brass and plated with gold.., are now made of britannium a gold plated alloy -- tin.
Why We Watch
There are a few theories, as to why so many (ridiculous amounts) of people watch such cultural events, like the Oscars -- the whole social aspect of it, the party atmosphere, you're a huge movie buff, or a big fan… Some say (game theorists), events like this are a sort of a -- Public Ritual, a shared experience revolving around a "common knowledge." All the other stuff -- the flubs and flaws, gifs and gaffs. The heartfelt acceptance speeches, that bring a tear to our eyes.., the embarrassing ones, too -- all the things people will be talking about the following day…
It used to be (not too long ago), where you could ignore the Oscars.., I mean, you could opt-out, so to speak, choose not to be apart of the sideshow -- and get away with it. But since the outright explosion of social media into our cultures, you have the risk of now appearing anti-social, misanthropic, reclusive -- out of the loop… Because of the vast amount of people that tune in, we feel almost pressured -- forced to watch.
Everybody who's involved with this, I love you. I love you.” --
Cuba Gooding Jr., Best Actor in a Supporting Role,1996
Not being able to communicate, what is sure dominate Facebook, Twitter and Steemit (not so much).., is a major faux pas… Missing out on such a widely shared experience, not acquiring all that, "common knowledge," could be a detriment to your social media standing (hehehe - sorry I find that funny) -- while the benefit of joining in the mayhem, only enhance it. And no doubt, this year, the big show will produce plenty of political commentary for us all to guffaw about in the days to come...
But regardless of all the studies and theories, as to why so many choose to watch… the roller coaster of truly raw emotion that takes place inside that theatre -- heck, even outside the theatre… Some people are such fans, they are just as nervous as the nominee they are rooting for… The level of achievement reached is inspiring to see, as it is happening -- live… Listening to the speech of a newly crowned winner's voice tremble from nerves, joy and complete shock -- is exciting to watch, there is something extremely life-affirming about it. The feeling of -- anything is possible, if we strive for our goals and hold onto our dreams.., is a good feeling. Plus, we have to see what everyone is wearing!
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