The scaled and stripped down presentation of the 93rd annual Academy Awards presentation exposed more to the world than they ever meant to, namely, the end isn't just near, it's here.
In recent years, the Oscarcast has become less and less viable and increasingly irrelevant. Naturally, that's stating the obvious since, in the grand scheme of things, it's just a stupid awards show. But the power of Hollywood magic, transforming this ceremony to the world into a spectacle loaded to the tits with baubles and bangles and beads, making the Academy Awards ceremony itself into the destination event that it has become for nearly a century.
The 2020 Oscar extravaganza was the last big event before everything closed down. Since then, the Motion Picture Academy had declared that the show must go on. Why deprive the rest of the world the ability of them to prove how wonderful they all are? Other awards shows tried to utilize Zoom technology and came up short as the Golden Globe debacle proved. The Screen Actors Guild broadcast basically just handed out their prizes like Oprah handing out cars. "You get a SAG! And YOU get a SAG!" So what about the Big Show, the Super Bowl/World Cup/Wrestlemania of Entertainment itself, huh? Time to think outside the box (or box office, as it were).
Due to Covid restrictions, the audience would be considerably smaller with only the nominees attending. The Kodak Theater, the regular venue for the Oscars would be out of the question since the auditorium would appear too empty on camera. It might have given a boatload of seat fillers some necessary employment though. They chose Union Station in Los Angeles, a beautiful classic structure to be sure. Unfortunately, they neglected the thousands of commuters who use that very hub. Once again the 2% screwed over the 98. Hollywood cares.
The Academy went to critical darling Stephen Soderbergh to produce the show (with two others) and his concept was to film the ceremony like a movie. Interesting idea if he could pull it off. The opening of the show had actual promise with Regina King in a tracking shot entering the building holding an Oscar and stepping onto stage. Upon arrival, however, she tripped. It wasn't her fault certainly. Unfortunately that's set the tone for the rest of the show. The whole enterprise was basically one big stumble. (Exactly what time was rehearsal anyway?) In effect, it became another Stephen Soderbergh movie that no one wanted to see.
There was a shake-up in the order of nominations, no big deal really until the very end. But the lack of clips, songs and any sense of film history went by the wayside. Someone suggested, "Hey! How about longer speeches!" That's what the public tunes in for. More glad-handing, pats on the back and speechifying. (Couldn't wait five minutes, could you, Regina?) Oh, you want comedy? Let's have Lil' Rel play a trivia game to...what? Pad time? Oh, so that Glenn Close can dance "Da Butt". That's entertainment. Also scripted. Coming around to the finish line, Best Picture was announced before Actor and Actress. Why? So that they cold give a posthumous award to the late Chadwick Boseman and show everyone (except for the stranded commuters) that Hollywood does have a heart after all! "And the Oscar goes to...Anthony Hopkins." He couldn't be there that night, so the Academy accepted on his behalf. G'night, folks!
Hoist by their own petard! Lord, deliver me from people with good intentions...
What a bunch of dopes. Whoever is upset over the results, shut your holes. It's an Award show. The votes were tabulated and Hopkins won. Period. End of story. The real kerfluffle (pardon my French) is that the Best Actor was conspicuously and intentionally placed at the very end as if the Powers That Be had inside information to the results. If Boseman did win, wouldn't that look a wee bit suspicious? Would anyone call them on it? What an insult to the Boseman family to have their son used in such a manner, making the Academy and ABC look benevolent. Shame on them. Chadwick Boseman deserved better than that. Those of us that suffered through this did as well.
The Oscars have been on a downward spiral for years now. Many things have contributed to its demise such as the internet, social media and the onslaught of similar award presentations that precede it. The Hollywood community doesn't do themselves any favors by lecturing the public from their lofty platforms while preaching to the choir before them who hang on every precious syllable. Besides that, the old hocus pocus just doesn't work anymore. It's as dated as a three ring circus. It's nothing more than a fashion show now and nothing much more. The movies don't seem to enter into it at all. A public service announcement sponsored by the National Association of Theater Owners featuring Matthew McConaughey proclaiming that cinemas were back in business again, ran in the Oscar pre-show, not in the main broadcast. That spoke volumes.
There's no coming back from this. They'll try, try again, struggling to regain the faith of the Great Unwashed and failing each and every time. When the contract with ABC expires, it will no longer be financially feasible to continue on this large of a scale. I heard a critic mention that, in the intimate setting of Union Station, the show was pretty much "in the room", meaning not for the general public. The whole thing began with a dinner and ceremony much like the Globes. Maybe it should continue on that path. Pre-record the bloody thing, edit it down to two hours and broadcast it if you really feel the need. Because the Oscars as we knew them are indeed over.
And, oh yeah, NOMADLAND won Best Picture.
Roll credits.
