January and February mean one thing in the entertainment world: awards shows. Yes, we’re staring down the barrel of two months of Hollywood slapping itself on the back, culminating in the Academy Awards – the highest honour for the filmmaking profession.
Previously, the only awards shows you’d ever hear about were the Golden Globes (which have just happened) and the Oscars (add Mon., Feb. 25 to your calendar). Now, everything from the Critics’ Choice Awards (which aired today) to the Screen Actors Guild Awards (Mon., Jan. 28) receives blanket coverage.
Throw in the AACTA International Awards (which have just been handed out), the BAFTA Film Awards (Mon., Feb. 11) and, for something different, the Grammys (the same day as the BAFTAs), and you’re looking at a relentless stream of red carpets, song-and-dance routine opening numbers and hours-long ceremonies. It’s a lot.
Even the most committed celebrity watcher would have to admit to awards-show fatigue by the time the Oscars roll around. The same faces nominated for the same roles in the same movies saying the same things in their acceptance speeches and red carpet interviews. At least the actresses’ dresses will be different each time.
“There’s an easy solution,” I hear you saying. “Don’t watch the awards shows.” Is that really an option, though? Putting aside the fact that it’s my job to be across these things, if I want to have any idea what people are talking about on social media on the day of the awards, I need to tune in because you never know when Winona Ryder is going to pull a meme-worthy face onstage or Ricky Gervais is going to make an outrageous joke at a fellow actor’s expense.
When everyone is tweeting about Jennifer Lawrence stacking it up the stairs to accept her trophy, or how they should forget about stupid stunts like sending Margot Robbie and Gal Gadot into a nearby cinema to surprise some “ordinary folk” and just get on with the awards, I want to know what they are talking about instead of scrambling to catch up. And that’s the thing – these viral moments can happen at any point in any one of the various awards shows.
You never know when the presenters are going to read out the wrong name or a winner is going to go on a rant about President Trump in their speech – actually, that last one is bound to happen more often than not – and so not watching is not an option. My solution: one awards show. For everything. It could go on all day if it had to, but then at least our work would be done. Until then, I guess I’ll be tuning in.
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