Imagine eagerly sitting in front of the television, watching the same teams and players compete against each other for months on end, only to be met with the exact same outcome. This, unfortunately, is exactly what the award season for the world of Hollywood has evolved into. Award shows used to be full of nail-biting anticipation, jaw-dropping surprises, and audience enjoyment. Today, they have now been transformed into events that only serve to provoke frustration rather than excitement.
As millions watch the same celebrities add to their vast collection of awards, the shows themselves become rather dull. The legitimacy of the award shows has come under scrutiny as the public questions the fairness of it all. Of course, it is difficult to acknowledge each individual deserving recognition. As such, Hollywood award shows should celebrate the underdogs and upcoming artists, rather than focus on the same few celebrities who have already had their fair share of the limelight.
People of color have been severely underappreciated and underrepresented for over a century in the entertainment industry. In response, there have been various movements and hashtags created solely to address this issue, like #OscarsSoWhite in 2015. This hashtag was responsible for the significantly higher numbers and ratios of the nominations in the years that have followed. That being said, #OscarsSoWhite was purely created out of frustration with the Academy.
In 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2010, there was not a single person of color who went home with an Oscar in his/her hand from the eight major categories of that night. Imagine how vexing it would be to pour one’s whole heart and soul into a project only to be denied credit likely for the color of one’s skin. During the 96th Oscars celebrating films released in 2023, a stunningly low number – only seven people – of color were nominated. That was seven out of 20 nominated talented actors and actresses; however, this ratio is actually a significant improvement over previous years. Even if change and progress is being made, it will never take back the years of neglect people of color have endured within this industry.
Hollywood’s history of also disregarding women for decades only worsens its reputation. Along with the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, there was another hashtag curated called #MeToo, which went viral in 2017. This hashtag symbolized a protest against sexual harassment and assault, specifically in Hollywood and with respect to disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. A number of celebrities were seen wearing little #MeToo pins at award shows in 2017, as well as all-black clothing to emphasize their blackout towards the movement.
Women’s talent, particularly in Hollywood, has been significantly undermined, while male actors are highly sought after. This unfair treatment towards women has been showcased throughout Hollywood award shows for years, as their wins and losses are always overshadowed by the handful of small decisions acted out by the men at these shows. For example, during the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith famously slapped Chris Rock for saying a rude joke towards Smith’s wife, Jada Picket Smith. This heated movement of violence between the two was all anyone could talk about for the rest of the night and the days, weeks, and months that followed. All anyone could remember and think about was that slap, rather than the wins of anybody in the room that night.
Hollywood’s leading men are constantly taking the spotlight away from not only women, but also people of color. This begs the questions: How fair and legitimate are these award shows? Can the nominations and winners be rigged in order to make everyone happy? The answer is that there needs to be more responsibility taken not only by the Academy for these award shows, but also the media as its behavior and demeaning articles have only enhanced the unfairness of these shows.
Hollywood award shows are meant to be a time when all the respected nominees are able to enjoy themselves and maybe even bring home a cool trophy. It should not have to be a controversial matter, but due to the way the people in Hollywood treat those who are not their “ideal” picks for winning, it has become controversial over the years. It is time to take accountability for the lack of diversity in the award shows to make these events light-hearted and enjoyable once more.
