As a nation obsessed with the actions, style and lives of celebrities, the Oscars are like the holy grail of award shows.
There will be hours of television dedicated to an in-depth look at the fashion of the Oscars. Full magazines will discuss the merits of every outfit and person in attendance. Some shows might actually discuss the winners, but that is not really important.
The Academy Awards are the last bastion celebrating true artistic achievement. For years, they have staunchly refused to bend to the ways of modern cinema and have stayed true to celebrating excellence.
In recent years, the Academy has come under attack for its selectivity, which is an attitude that I commend them for. Let’s face it: The biggest movie of 2009 that wasn’t included in the Oscar nominations was The Hangover, which is like the reality TV of the movie industry. Seriously entertaining, with zero artistic merit.
Take the 2009 Oscars, for example: None of the winners were unknown or newcomers. It was the same list of people who get nominated every year.
The only movie that showcased relatively unknown actors was the winner for best picture: Slumdog Millionaire, the actors of which have virtually faded into obscurity again.
The Academy that selects the nominees for the awards every year is the crème de la crème. Steve Carell, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Sidney Poiter, Amy Adams, Will Smith, Jack Nicholson, Spike Lee, Stephen Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino, just to name a few.
The academy is comprised of about 6,000 actors, directors, producers, writers and other members of the movie industry.
It is no surprise, then, that these very same people will continue to vote each and every time for the actors and actresses who are members of their own ranks or people they know.
How are new actors and actresses supposed to get roles that showcase their talent if many directors want them to have nominations from other nominated directors, if they can’t get nominated because they are not in movies that award-winning directors direct?
It is a vicious cycle that must stop. That is why I was excited to hear that Gabourey Sidibe, an extraordinary actress who does not fit into the cookie cutter mold of current celebrities, was nominated for her performance in Precious as Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Although she didn’t win, she is the embodiment of a forward movement in the selection process of the Academy.
It is a return to talent rather than the nepotism that has filled the Academy for so long.
So while many will focus on the glitz and glamour of the 82nd annual Academy Awards, I hope you will join me in the celebration of talent that these men and women put into their trade and hope for the increased diversity of this celebration.
Andrea Godoy is the Ranger opinion editor. She can be reached at agodoy@my.actx.edu.
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