Oscars

It's interesting to take note of the criticism that has surrounded the Academy Awards in the past. Around here, we make a big deal about the whole ceremony. There's even an Oscar party at Dr. Clark's house every year. But there's plenty of people who think the whole thing is a colossal ego trip for Hollywood, including a handful of past winners. Overall, I think that the claim of it being shameless self advertising bears the most weight. Yeah, so you have people in the business making the calls about who wins what. But it is the Academy Awards, as in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Of course it's going to be people in the industry. Personally, that's not the part that bothers me at all. There has also been criticism of the Academy choosing winners in accordance with pervading trends or for sentimental reasons, and not necessarily to those who were most deserving.

After all, it's easy to come down against sort of system where someone will win and everyone else will lose. It's literally impossible to please everybody. But hey, maybe there is still some good to the ceremonies. Maybe it provides enough incentive for people to get a quality product out there; aside from the money and publicity, there is still a good deal of prestige that goes with winning an Oscar.