question of the day: Are honorary Oscars bullshit?Recently the recipients of this year’s honorary Oscars were announced: actor Eli Wallach, film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, and director Jean-Luc Godard. It seems, however, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been unable to get in touch with Godard to let him know about his win. Matt Zoller Seitz at Salon calls Godard’s thumbing his nose at Hollywood “delightful”: I love this. Normally the academy says, "Jump," and almost any director alive says, "How high?" Godard can't be bothered. In fact he can't be found. Whatever one thinks of his output -- and I've found something to like or dislike in every phase of his long career -- there's something heartening, perhaps inspirational, in his blasé refusal to do things according to the memo. He's too old for that -- too Godard for that. Landon Palmer at Film School Rejects is more blunt: But like a university that seeks the acquisition of a bigger endowment by giving an honorary doctorate to a wealthy celebrity, an Honorary Oscar for Godard benefits the Academy more than Godard himself. An Honorary Oscar for Godard functions as a form of cultural capital for the Academy: a quick and insincere acquisition of false credibility by pretending to honor a convention-bending foreign filmmaker. Palmer’s headline, perhaps, says it all: “Honorary Oscars are Bullsh*t and Godard Knows It.” What do you think? Are honorary Oscars bullshit? One telling hint: Honorary Oscars used to be given out during the televised broadcast, when all the world -- or at least all the movie was -- was watching. This year, these four awards will be bestowed during a nontelevised dinner months before the regular Oscar show. (If you have a suggestion for a QOTD, feel free to email me. Responses to this QOTD sent by email will be ignored; please post your responses here.) support
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Tue Aug 31 10, 11:31AM categories: awards buzz talent buzz talk amongst yourselves permalink 7 pre-Disqus comments Disqus comments tip jarshare
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Eli Wallach Film School Rejects Francis Ford Coppola Jean-Luc Godard Kevin Brownlow Landon Palmer Matt Zoller Seitz Oscars qotd Salon related· wtf: ‘The Other Guys’ insults Wall Street, which is nothing but kind and noble and beneficient · Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (review) · question of the day: Has there been a person who has powerfully influenced your love of movies or TV? · question of the day: Will future generations understand ‘The Simpsons’? · must reads: “R.I.P., the movie camera: 1888-2011” · how ‘Caprica’ should end; why Roger Ebert hates lists; what the frak is Roland Emmerich up to?; more: leftover links · question of the day: How would great female filmmakers describe their work in ways comparable to the machismo of male filmmakers? · cinematic roots of: ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’ · question of the day: Is J.J. Abrams being a troll when he says, “If you’re so smart, you come up with a better ending for ‘Lost’”? · question of the day: Is it a spoiler to reveal that ‘The Fourth Kind’ is a total fakeout? bloggyprevious post: watch it: “Wes Anderson presents Pee-Wee's Big Adventure” next post: trailer break: ‘Legendary’ |
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pre-Disqus comments
posted by Martin (Tue Aug 31 10, 11:41AM)
Of course. Because if someone deserves it, they should've won one fair and square.
But I think that Landon summed it up perfectly, it's proof that the Academy Awards don't work like they should.
posted by Hank Graham (Tue Aug 31 10, 11:47AM)
Yes, they are bullshit. But so are the Oscars. So what?
posted by RogerBW (Tue Aug 31 10, 12:30PM)
Yup, Palmer has it: not only are they bullshit, the fact that they're necessary is proof that the main system doesn't do what it claims to do.
Time to abolish the things before the Academy becomes even more of a laughing stock than it already is.
posted by Chris (Tue Aug 31 10, 12:45PM)
The Oscars are a joke in general. But even if they weren't, Godard doesn't need them to induct him into their club to validate the worth of his work, and he knows it. Accolades are nice, but he has every reason to ignore the Academy. And considering it's well known that Godard has always despised Hollywood, I'm not sure why they're bothering.
posted by PaulW (Tue Aug 31 10, 12:52PM)
Yes the honorary Oscar is bull (just look at the travesty of Edward G Robinson's career: total awesomeness but not even a NOMINATION for an acting trophy). But still and all if I had my druthers Christopher Lee would be getting a Lifetime Achievement...
posted by Shadowen (Tue Aug 31 10, 11:16PM)
As Hank Graham said, so are the regular Oscars. The honorary Oscar is nothing more than a way of saying to legends of the business, "Sorry that our internal politics fucked you. Here's a shiny gold statue that you didn't have to compete for."
It's like those "Participant" ribbons or trophies you get in elementary school.
posted by DenisSweet (Thu Sep 02 10, 1:43AM)
I know I'm probably in the minority here and I'm probably putting my head in the lion's mouth but it's a free country so here it goes:
Am I the only one who thinks that Landon Palmer and the other commentators here are being hysterical? It's just an award show. You people who HATE the Oscars always take it FAR FAR FAR more seriously than those who enjoy it.
I like the Oscars (and the honorary Oscars) but I have no delusions about what the Oscars are. They're just an award... nothing more. And I like watching them... That's it! End of story! Awards can be fun if you allow them to be fun but if you take them too seriously, you start to go insane. There's no reason to get apoplectic over every tiny detail.
Are the Honorary Oscars bullshit?.... NO! You can talk about "politics" and "campaigning" and "travesties" and whatnot until you die... but personally all I ask myself is "do I think Jean-Luc Godard has done enough to earn this award?" and my answer is "yes". Actually most of the people who've won an honorary Oscar have deserved it... so what's your guys' problem? Lighten up, dudes.