The Oscars just a few weeks ago marked the end of Hollywood's award season, and I'm so glad. During that time, I found so many of my favorite artists pitted against each other in attempts to win awards for their work and people continually arguing over self-decided "snubs". However, this season, instead of picking "the best" actor, director, or movie I simply decided to root for every performance I enjoyed.
Our society loves and thrives off an artistic community that can appeal to the masses through competition. But the reality of performance, particularly movies, is that they are incredibly group-work based. None of the masterpieces we enjoy can exist without the efforts and contributions of hundreds of people.
This is the very reason I've found myself more and more frustrated with awards shows. There is so much more than what audiences see that goes into creating award-winning works of art, and there is nothing wrong with appreciating and enjoying all elements of a movie, and loving more than one nominated movie!
Art is inherently a collaborative form of expression. In an industry like Hollywood, which continuously hires the same actors, it seems an ill-informed practice to make actors who may very well end up as coworkers compete in trivial awards shows.
People are also allowed to enjoy art whether or not it is their favorite movie of all time or just one they liked. You don't have to adore and have an obsession with every movie you see to appreciate it, and not every movie has to be award-winning to be good or valuable.
Award shows play into our needs to enjoy the "best" of everything, but I think all art can be its own individual "best." It's perfectly okay to enjoy things without comparison, and I advocate for finding more joy in art independent from comparison in your own life!
Sheetal Tadiparty
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