The 2017 Oscars were a reality show farce. They celebrate Hollywood relevance at a time when it no longer exists. There were no stars in last night’s audience. Instead, what’s left of the elite performed on stage for the new more diverse cast. The Rock was the first out because he’s the last actor alive who can open a movie. The producers need people at home to watch so they brought out someone we like. Someone who will never win an award. As Jimmy Kimmel put it, “A former wrestler … is now the highest paid actor in the world. Which really kind of puts this whole thing into perspective.”
The theatrical market is dominated by Marvel and Star Wars. Everything released under those brands earns a billion dollars because they represent the pinnacle of escapism. That’s what movies are to most people. The films honored at the Oscar’s are not about escapism. Some might praise them instead as art, but newsflash – every movie is art. Even Doctor Strange informs the human condition. That’s what storytelling does. The only relevant category last night was best animated feature because it’s the only category where the films received large viewership. It’s time to break these awards into genre’s. Give out a best comedy Oscar. Give one for drama, one for science-fiction. Let’s celebrate all movies and not one town’s point of view on the importance of diversity.
I give praise to Jimmy Kimmel for his hosting and for the lightness of the show. It was fun to watch, but the simple fact remains – nobody saw the movies being honored. The Oscars are growing less relevant every year. The show played like a reaction to how out of touch the films were with popular tastes. They dropped candy from the ceiling and bussed in a bunch of tourists to mingle with the front row. If Faye Dunaway had not read the wrong winner for Best Picture there would be half the media coverage today. It’s time for the Academy to honor the diversity of movies rather than a political point of view. We get that shit everyday in every place we look. We go to the movies for escapism.