Let’s Get One Thing Straight
I’ve been in this industry for 22 years. That’s 22 years of watching grown adults put on tuxedos and fancy dresses to tell each other how great they are. I’m talking about awards shows, folks. And let me tell you, it’s all completley absurd.
I remember back in ’98, I was at this little bar in Austin after the SXSW festival. My friend Marcus—let’s call him Marcus—he was a producer for some indie film. He turned to me and said, “You know what’s funny? None of us actually care about these awards.” And I said, “Then why do we do it?” And he just laughed. Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. We all pretend to care. We all dress up, we all smile for the cameras, we all clap when someone wins. It’s like this big charade. And honestly? It’s exhausting.
Why Do We Even Bother?
Look, I get it. Recognition is nice. It feels good to be appreciated. But at what cost? I mean, think about it. We spend millions—millions!—of dollars on these events. And for what? So some guy in a tux can say, “Thank you, thank you, I’m so humbled” for 30 seconds before he forgets his lines and starts rambling about his cat or something. (I’m looking at you, James Franco.)
And don’t even get me started on the voting process. It’s a joke. A complete joke. I had a colleague named Dave—real name, by the way—who told me about this one time he voted for his own project. And he didn’t even win! Can you believe that? He didn’t even win! So much for integrity, right?
But here’s the real kicker. We all watch these shows. We all tune in. We all care—at least a little bit. Why is that? What is it about these absurd, over-the-top spectacles that keeps us coming back for more?
A Brief Digression: The Time I Met a Celebrity
Okay, so this isn’t really related, but bear with me. About three months ago, I was at this little coffee shop on 5th. And who should walk in but some big-time actor? Let’s call him Brad. (Because honestly, who cares what his real name is.) So Brad walks in, and I’m like, “Oh my god, it’s Brad!” And I totally freaked out. I mean, I’m a professional, I know better, but I couldn’t help it. It’s Brad!
So I go up to him, and I’m like, “Hey, Brad, I’m a huge fan.” And he looks at me, and he’s like, “Thanks, man. Appreciate it.” And that’s it. That’s the extent of our interaction. But you know what? It was enough. It was enough to make me feel like I was part of something bigger. Something special.
And that, my friends, is the power of celebrity. It’s the power of recognition. It’s the power of awards shows. It’s the power of all this absurdity.
But Here’s the Thing…
It’s all a bit much, isn’t it? I mean, think about it. We live in a world where people are starving, where people are dying, where people are struggling just to make ends meet. And we’re over here spending millions of dollars on fancy dresses and tuxedos and speeches and parties. It’s just… yeah. It’s a bit much.
But here’s the thing. I’m not saying we should abolish awards shows. I’m not saying we should stop recognizing talent. I’m just saying… maybe we should take a step back. Maybe we should think about what’s really important. Maybe we should think about the people who are actually making a difference in the world.
And maybe, just maybe, we should think about the market news financial update that’s probably going to say we spent way too much money on this nonsense.
But hey, what do I know? I’m just a senior magazine editor with 22 years of experience. I’m just a guy who’s seen it all and is still trying to make sense of it. I’m just a guy who thinks awards shows are absurd but can’t help but watch them every year.
So there you have it. My rant on awards shows. It’s not pretty, it’s not polished, it’s not even particularly well-thought-out. But it’s honest. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what really matters?
Anyway, I’m gonna go watch some reality TV now. Because apparently, that’s what I do for fun.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior magazine editor for over two decades, covering everything from movies to music to celebrity gossip. She’s been published in major publications and has a reputation for being brutally honest and slightly unhinged. When she’s not ranting about awards shows, she can be found binge-watching Netflix and eating way too much pizza.
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