My English class is currently reading The Crucible, an excruciatingly depressing play by Arthur Miller (redundant, I know). Today, an awful Monday, we were forced to write a one paragraph essay on an important theme in the play. Now, instead of resorting to writing on the corruption of the theocracy like the majority of my class, I decided to use my creative juices and write about the stupidity of giving power to stupid people (phrased a bit differently). Considering that I have not slept for more than five hours a night for the past week and a half, I believe I wrote a relatively decent essay. Hopefully this will be a relatively decent post.
But what prompted this creative spurt after such a draining weekend and past week?
Could it have been the absolute ridiculous decisions made last night by the Academy Awards judges or whoever else chooses the winners? Or maybe the even more ridiculous choices at the Grammy's a few weeks ago?
My question is: Who chooses these choosers? and who would cast some of these actors/actresses in movies or sign deals with these untalented or commonplace musicians?
My answer is: We do.
Sandra Bullock is very funny. Ha Ha. I loved The Proposal, but mostly because I'm a sucker for romantic comedies and because Ryan Reynolds was in it. No chemistry at all. It was more awkward than Claudette Colbert's love scenes. I did not see the Blind Side, which is what she won the Oscar for, but I have seen enough terribly cheesy sentimental sport movies to know that this was probably Remember the Titans Part 2 with Nicholas Sparks as guest-writer.
Meryl Streep, on the other hand, for her absolutely genius role as Julia Child in Julie and Julia, deserved the Oscar but once again was passed over.
I would complain about the Best Picture award...but I actually have not seen either Avatar or The Hurt Locker yet (shame on me, I know), so I can't. Je suis desolee.
However, Star Trek seemed to drop off the face of the Earth for the Oscars. Zachary Quinto as Best Supporting Actor, anyone?
Now for the Grammy's. Most awful awful AWFUL choices ever. And I mean ever. Kings of Leon...best record...FAIL. I mean seriously, clear your throats, boys. But considered to the other nominations, it was one of the better choices.
Album of the Year: Fearless by blond Taylor Swift. Wait, who decided she was original? And quite honestly, her songs do not apply to my teenage-girl life in the least. Maybe I'm just bitter?
I must say that Joe Jonas's parody of Beyonce's Single Ladies was hilarious, but if parodies are being made of a nominee for best song, doesn't that mean that maybe it WASN'T the best song. Hmmm...
I could continue on this rant, but I'm sure you're getting bored, so I'll finish off with those albums which actually were a result of raw talent and originality but which were completely ignored.
-Melody Gardot's new album, all written by her except for a soulful rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I think it might have been nominated for best engineering or something...
-Michael Buble's Crazy Love was forgotten...but his Madison Square Garden recording won best traditional pop album?
-Harry Connick Jr.: probably the most talented and least appreciated musician/actor whose last album, Our Songs, was surely worth some sort of award?
(Yeah, I'm a bit prejudiced against anything that is not jazz/blues/fusion/indie...)
But, in order to relate all of this to my topic, the world is falling into a state of deafness to anything but the constant clawing of the media. In order to stay on-air, the judges must choose winners who will either warrant a David and Goliath feeling (too bad, Avatar) or are so wildly popular that everyone will recognize the winners (Beyonce, Taylor Swift, etc.).
Why are we so easily influenced by bad decision makers? Why can't we appreciate those who actually work hard to succeed, who write their own music, who resurrect forgotten styles, who start a whole new era of science fiction?
We choose these judges, these winners, these conformists. Music, and film are the three most free realms, but they are slowly being limited to only those who can attract attention.
In order to solve this dilemma, I recommend everyone to get a Pandora radio station or BROWSE the video store or Netflix. Maybe you will discover something more exciting than songs about single ladies and crazy parties.
And also, STOP BEING STUPID!
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