Glitz free: Some celebrities have suggested transforming the show from a typical awards ceremony into a telethon, raising funds for the affected community, members of the industry and firefighters. — AP
THERE has always been something a little gaudy, ostentatious and – if we’re being totally candid – tacky about awards season in Hollywood.
The Oscars began in May 1929 as a 15-minute industry dinner (free of any suspense, as the winners had been announced three months earlier) and ballooned in the following decades. Not only is it a three-plus-hour global event now, but it’s a months-long runway of non-stop prognostication, expensive “for your consideration” campaigns, and an ever-increasing slate of precursor awards. The extravagant spending, coupled with the sheer volume of egregious back-patting, can easily veer into “much ado about nothing” territory.
