The Oscars: history, impact, and significance

Oscars

Traditionally, the Oscars have been seen as the awards show to watch. Receiving an Oscar used to mean that the actor, director, etc., was at the top of his or her form and that there was no one better. However, there have been concerns of late that some of what the Oscars provide is simply a show - Hollywood glitz and glamour, but no actual test of talent and work that has gone into a project. Some of this undoubtedly comes from four different areas of the Oscars - the host, the clothes, the freebies, and what happens behind the scenes. All four of them will be discussed here in an effort to show that the Oscars have strayed far away from what they used to be, which was a wholesome if somewhat glamorous show, and into the realm of 'reality TV.'

The Host

The host for the Oscars this year was Chris Rock, a frequently R- and X-rated comedian (Harwood, 2005). Shortly before he was asked to host the production, Rock stated comments such as the fact that Jennifer Lopez's behind was so large that she would need an extra limousine for it, and that the Oscars were only a fashion show (Harwood, 2005; Chris, 2005). While the comment about Lopez may have been offensive, the idea of the Oscars as being nothing more than a fashion show may ring truer than many individuals that are associated with it would like. However, Rock still agreed to host the Oscars, even after all of the derogatory comments that he made about them.

Previous hosts such as Billy Crystal were very family-oriented in most of the material that they presented, and many of the jokes that they used were somewhat tired, not on the cutting edge of what is appropriate or not, such as the jokes that Rock uses in most of the stand-up material he works with (Harwood, 2005). The idea of getting Chris Rock to host the Oscars came from the idea that most people were getting tired of seeing the same old thing and that the ratings for the show were beginning to slip. It was hoped that something fresh and new, such as Rock, would allow for a boost to the ratings and therefore put the Oscar show back on its feet once again.

The joke largely ended up being on the executives at the network, however, because many of the public statements that Rock made about the Oscars before the show were very rude and not in favor of the 'glad-handing' that the show often indicates (Harwood, 2005). Another issue significant to note about Rock was that, although he generally kept his language clean during the Oscars, he still managed to offend many people, and those people may not watch the Oscars again, which could hurt its sagging ratings even more (Garron, 2005). Despite this, though, Chris Rock is not really the largest issue when it comes to the Oscars. The biggest issue, at least for the media, may be the clothes.

The Clothes

It has been said that 'clothes make the man.' Whether this is true is not a subject for debate here, but the stars of the past often spent thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on the clothing that they wore for the Oscars. Today, however, stars tell a designer that, if the designer pays enough money to the star, the star will wear the designer's clothes, and mention the designer, at the Oscars when they are interviewed on the red carpet (King, 2005). Many of these Hollywood women actually auction themselves off to the point that the highest bidding designer will see their clothing go down the red carpet and hear their name mentioned when the star is asked where she got that lovely gown, etc. (King, 2005).

The clothes are only second in glitz and glamour to the Oscar decorations themselves, which are designed by Roy and Dorothy Christopher, who have worked production design on the Oscars 13 times in the event's 75-year history (Bentley, 2003). Despite the lovely decorations, however, most people notice the clothing of the stars more than the decorations.

The Freebies

What the stars get for free is also something that is seen at the Oscars. Gift bags are given to each person that attends, and many of these bags contain items that would be considered very expensive by the standards of the average individual. Many of the bags contain gifts that total approximately $100,000 (Langley, 2005). In the 1980s, the 'goodie bag' was designed to give to the small, 40-member production staff of the Oscars, put it has evolved throughout the years, so that the stars receive gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars - simply because they showed up (Langley, 2005). Remember, they also got paid a lot of money to wear the clothing that they have on, and whether they win or lose, they profit from the evening.

Behind the Scenes

What happens and goes on behind the scenes at the Oscars is probably the most interesting tale of all, however. Backstage, the actors, actresses, and others are just themselves, and they are able to laugh, joke, and be much more comfortable than they are in front of the cameras (Elber, 2001). While they are in the spotlight they may seem thrilled and in control, but they are actually being very careful not to do or say something that could be a problem for them later. Because of this, they must be on their guard and basically treat their working lives in front of the cameras on Oscar night as though it was another performance.

Conclusion

It is easy to see from the information discussed here that there are many different things that make up the Oscars, and the event can mean different things to different people. To the young starlet that is attending her first Oscar night, the glitz and glamour probably seem very exciting and new. To those that have been going to the ceremonies for many years, one is left to wonder whether the Oscars lose their luster after a while, or does all of Hollywood, young and old, welcome the chance to show their stuff on the red carpet? Either way, the Oscars have been around for 75 years and will certainly not be leaving, so whether the night is still about talent or basically about style, the general popularity of the yearly, televised event remains.