Thursday, January 8, 2009

Award Fatigue

Ratings for all awards shows have been slipping for years, so this isn't exactly a new concept. But even around the TLA offices, where awards-season buzz has continued unabated through thick and thin, the apathy has become palpable. To wit: Not a single Golden Globes party has been scheduled by any of our employees. And I'm not even upset about it Why is this happening?

  • Celebrity Culture Used to be, the news was full of news, and only the occasional variety or talk show would delve into the movie business. Now, the movies are the news, and celebrities from Angelina Jolie to Kevin James are overexposed even before their movies are released. Shows like The Oscars were your chance to see them with their guards down, as real (yet undeniably fabulous) people. No more.
  • Everyone's a Critic Do I really need the Golden Globes to confirm that Slumdog Millionare is a fucking great picture? I've already had 20 people tell me I need to see it. Hell, the homeless guy down the street hasn't been to a movie in three decades and even he's telling me to go see it.
  • Too. Many. Awards. I'm not talking about Cinematography and Editing, which are actually among my favorites. I'm talking about the Indie Awards, the Film Critic Circle Awards, the Extradited Eskimo Awards. Half the awards are doled out before the films even play in Philly! I think the reason the Golden Raspberry Awards (pictured above) are gaining in popularity is because it's the only organization doing something different than the rest.
  • Time's Up Comics like to joke about the epic length of the Oscars, but somehow back in the '70s, they got the show done an hour earlier, with full dance and song numbers, and no need to cut off the speeches early. The speeches are the best part! Honestly, I look at old broadcasts and I can't tell what they're doing differently. Yesterday I listened to The Beatles on my iPod and "Eleanor Rigby" clocks in at 2 minutes and 2 seconds. Oasis can't even get to the first lyric by then. Time used to be more precious.

That said, I'm sure I'm going to be on my couch on Sunday night, watching the stars get drunk during the Globes. But it feels more like an obligation than a joy. Would I even be watching if I didn't still work in the industry? Are you watching?

© TLA Entertainment Group

3 comments:

reassurance said...

Though they may be doing something different, the Razzies are even safer with their picks than the Oscars. Oh, really, Eddie Murphy, Larry the Cable Guy and Carmen Electra sucked this past year? If they went out on a limb and maybe awarded something like Crash the worst film of the year the same year it won the "Best Picture," I might start caring.

Anonymous said...

Gotta agree with you there... they do go for solid press soundbites. Especially when they try to break Guinness Records by nominating Eddie Murphy in every possible category. And I also agree that Crash may have been the worst picture of its year, as much as I've tried to block that piece of overwritten dookie from my mind.

reassurance said...

Sorry for bringing that awful movie (which I usually refer to as the Movie Where Sandra Bullock Falls Down a Flight of Stairs) back in your mind. But I also wouldn't mind if they threw a couple of surprises in there, like a bad performance in an other decent film (like... um... Evan Rachel Wood in The Wrestler). I think they used to do that, as with Daryl Hannah in Wall Street, but I haven't noticed it lately.