e94. Why Do Award Shows Suck?

After being disappointed by last year’s Oscars, Hannah swore that we would never do another show about them. But then she started thinking about it and wanted to take a different approach. It seems like every year during Oscar season, from the announcements all the way through the picks, more people are upset than happy. We get upset when the movies we like aren’t represented enough (or at all). We get upset when the wrong people win. We complain that there isn’t enough representation or that so many things are snubbed. Yes, we all know about #OscarsSoWhite. We all know about the bias against female directors. But why does that happen? And it’s not just the Oscars. The same thing happens with all of the movie awards, as well as the ones for TV, books, plays, music and everything else. Why is there so much bias in the Oscars? Why don’t our favorites win? And why do we care so much what a bunch of old, rich, white men think anyway? Hannah and Mav are joined by a returning AJ Ortega to debate the culture and relevance of the Oscars, other award shows, and the validity of even having such competitions in the first place. Citations and Links: * This episode’s Call for Comments* “I Said Marvel Movies Aren’t Cinema. Let Me Explain.” by Martin Scorsese* “On Building a #ShakeRace “Canon” by Brandy C. Williams* “Recognizing the Enduring Whiteness of Jane Austen” by Marcos Gonsalez* Mav discussing Harriet on Church of the Geek* Stephen King’s tweet on diversity and followup* Marcos Gonsalez’s response to King* “Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ Oscar Snub Speaks to Our Inability to See Women as Auteurs” by Anna Menta* “Cynthia Erivo is the only black Oscar nominee and fans react” by Novieku-Babatunde Adeola * “