The Oscars are Outdated

February 27th is an important day in the world of pop culture; the Academy Awards will return for the 83rd time. Like every year the stars will be out in full force, showing the world why they are famous and why we are not. Strutting their stuff down the red carpet and listening to the smoker’s voice of Joan Rivers, millions of Americans and people around the world will be mesmerized. The most intriguing part of the night will be waiting for the announcement of what movie will be anointed the “best”. I ask you this question not as a fan of the fame and glory nor of independent cinema, but as a person who enjoys being entertained: Is this really the best way to judge a great movie? Isn’t the best way to rate or judge a movie by how much it grosses in a given year? Shouldn’t you as a viewer of these movies have a say? As past years have shown us, “The Academy” doesn’t always choose what we the people feel is the most worthy movie, actor or actress.

In 2008, The Dark Knight stole the summer audiences’ hearts and raked up $533,345,358. On the contrary, the Oscar winner was Slumdog Millionaire, which grossed $141,319,928. Both movies are great in their own aspect, although the public thought The Dark Knight was more entertaining. It was very possible the best movie of the year was Slumdog Millionaire; however, the batman movie should not have been left off the list of the top 5 films of the year. It is a bit egocentric and a slap to our face that producers and directors ignored that stat.

How many times, especially in the last 3 years, have we heard that the times are changing? Probably everyday, and many people have heeded this advice and have adapted to the new playing field, the Internet. If you haven’t noticed or are too ignorant to change than you will be left behind eating our dust. Sports, television and music have all adapted to this change, whether it is fan polling for the NBA All Star game, choosing who is the next American idol or following the daily lives of your favorite celebrity; the public, not the experts, are choosing what they want. With all this being said, the viewer is still without a say on one of the most influential nights of the year, even with the abundance of social media platforms designed for discussion, comment and review.

Life as we know it is different, you, me and I have a voice in this world and that voice can sound like an expert or like a moron, but in either case we can speak our mind. Ten years ago the public’s voice was available but a lot more difficult to be heard. Opinions couldn’t be spread as quickly as they are today nor was everybody able to make an educated decision. The Oscar’s format was an appropriate format for that time. As far as I was concerned there were only 3 experts who would rate movies, Roger, Ebert and the Academy Awards. With such a small selection you would take their word for it. Now is different, film rhetoric is everywhere, and you the viewer can influence not just me but the entire world of cinema by voicing your opinion. How many of you have decided to watch a movie because of Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB? Instead of only following the experts’ opinions, these websites have incorporated reviews given by us the viewer. If these elements are already used and respected, why doesn’t the Academy Awards take advantage of this public forum? We obviously can’t do any worse than the producers and directors if they voted for Sandra Bullock in 2009 (the year she also won the Razzie for the worst female performance).

As we turn on the TV, make the popcorn and watch these idiots smile and talk in front of the camera, remember to take these awards with a grain of salt. The Times be changing and we the people have a voice stronger than we have ever had in the history of the human race. Social media rules the world and for this reason alone the Oscars are outdated, because they ignore that voice. With my voice I will cast my ballot in favor of Toy Story 3 because I feel it was the only movie that redefined a category, was entertaining for children and adults and it made most people tear up at the end (including me).