It’s an attention economy, and the distractions are doing their job.
Since early January, the mainstream film world has been absorbed in awards season. But frankly, I’m tired of hearing about it. For three months, we watch the same celebrities scramble to collect social capital, parade their vanity, and bask in the glow of manufactured prestige. Many people eagerly immerse themselves in this intoxicatingly superficial celebrity utopia while ignoring the rampant misinformation and real-world crises unfolding around them.
The season is in full swing, with ceremonies like the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and British Academy Film Awards all setting the stage for the main event, the Academy Awards on March 2.
But while Hollywood plays dress-up, real problems demand attention. Last year, 19.5 million Americans tuned in to watch the 96th Academy Awards, while the New York Times—one of the most-read newspapers in the US—currently has 11 million subscribers, with a goal of reaching 15 million subscribers by 2027. The difference in ers for the news or award shows begs the question of which one people actually value more.
As glamorous as these film stars may be and as entertaining as it is to watch them win awards for their talent, there’s one ex-TV we should really be paying attention to—and it’s not Ariana Grande.
On Feb. 18, President of the United States Donald Trump blamed Ukraine for the war and politically aligned the US with Russia, falsely absolving Vlir Putin, the president of Russia, of responsibility. Just two days earlier, on Feb. 16, Mikey Madison finally won an award for Best Lead Actress for her stellar performance as Anora in Anora while wearing a Prada dress. The contrast of the much-discussed events of the week is unnerving, to say the least.
Film and the arts deserve to be celebrated, but the issue isn’t the celebration of creativity—it’s the excessive fanfare, the obsessive coverage, and the disproportionate attention given to celebrity culture. The discourse has become less about the art itself and more about the spectacle: which designer someone is wearing, who’s dating whom, and how many trophies the same films and actors can collect.
I’m not saying celebrities should be responsible for educating fans on major political issues. But as a society, we need to be more critical about how we engage with media in our free time. It’s an immense privilege to turn a blind eye to humanitarian crises because it’s more fun to watch Zoe Saldaña accept her sixth award for Emilia Perez.
If human attention is a commodity, media platforms are constantly competing for it. But award shows aren’t the form of entertainment humanity needs. Film is riveting and engaging, yet the discourse surrounding it has become monotonous with the same movies and actors trying to win the same award each ceremony.
That said, watching awards season and staying informed about global events aren’t mutually exclusive. As a film fanatic, I’ll certainly be following the Academy Awards. With everything bleak and anxiety-inducing that’s been happening in the world recently, many people, especially Americans, use Hollywood as an escape. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that—but the ability to detach from reality, to ignore war and humanitarian disasters in favour of red-carpet recaps, is a privilege worth acknowledging.
It’s easy to be seduced by the mysterious glamour of fame. I’ll it, my Succession-obsessed heart is excited to see whether Kieran Culkin or Jeremy Strong win Best ing Actor. And yes, I’ll be rooting for Mikey Madison to take home the Academy Award for Best Lead Actress. But that doesn’t mean I’ll tune out the pressing global issues that have real impact on peoples’ lives.
Right now, my biggest concern isn’t who wins an Oscar—it’s Trump’s spread of misinformation and hate, which has and will continue to put lives at risk. These are the stories that deserve our attention, not the latest designer gowns on the red carpet.
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Zedrick Serson
This entire article reads like the author’s parents used the “Kids are starving in Africa, eat your veggies” tactic on them and they made it a significant part of their personality. $8/year/student for this drivel