Academy Awards are not for me
Listen to this articleI have not watched the Academy Awards show in at least 35 years and if I live another 35, I hope to never watch it. I never understood why we are so envious of a group of people who are paid millions of dollars to play make believe only to try and tell the general public and government what it should be doing.
Giving awards to self absorbed celebrities is like throwing shit at the homeless; neither is warranted. Yes, there are a few celebrities who seem to have their act together, but for the most part they put their energy into creating an image that will convince the average American to part with their hard earned money with the hope they may forget their sorry life.
When actors and actresses house themselves in huge spreads in places like Malibu and then tell us how we should live or who to vote for while they quietly use their influence to keep people like us off the beaches their homes border, they do not deserve recognition. When their biggest problems are which publicist should they sign on with now that they fired their previous one or which designer should they have create a gown for them to wear on the red carpet, they cease to understand or appreciate what the average American experience is like.
It’s one thing to honor an actor or actress for their long and distinguished career with something like a Kennedy Center award, but the Oscars are nothing more than a bunch of celebrities partying before our eyes and trying to act as if what they have just won is a tremendous accomplishment. Hell, most do not even sit through the show. They use fill ins who sit in their seats for them while they go to the bar and drink and chat away.
While I enjoy a good movie like anyone else, it would not be the end of the world for me if the movie industry disappeared. A good book or a good piece of music impresses me more than a good film. Getting up on a stage and performing comedy or a play/musical takes more talent than acting in a movie where you can shoot as many takes as you want until you get it right.
Even more, a great teacher, doctor, fire fighter, police officer, secretary, student, and citizen are far more worthy of an award show than Hollywood is. After all, without these people, there is no Hollywood.
Jim is a life long resident of California and retired school teacher with 30 years in public education. Jim earned his BA in History from CSU Chico in 1981 and his MA in Education from Azusa Pacific University in 1994. He is also the author of Teaching The Teacher: Lessons Learned From Teaching. Jim considers himself an equal opportunity pain in the ass to any political party, group, or individual who looks to profit off of hypocrisy. When he is not pointing out the conflicting words and actions of our leaders, the NFL commissioner, or humans in general, he can be found riding his bike for hours on end while pondering his next article. Jim recently moved to Camarillo, CA after being convinced to join the witness protection program.