The Oscars, once a pinnacle of Hollywood achievement, are now a mere blip in the radar of the general public, according to Amanda Seyfried and Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo. The awards show, once a symbol of cinematic excellence, has lost its luster, with many questioning its relevance in today's streaming-driven landscape. Seyfried, reflecting on her own career, argues that the Oscars are not the be-all and end-all of an actor's success. She emphasizes that the nomination itself is the real prize, not the win. 'Do you remember who won in the past 10 years? It's not the win that's important. It's the nomination. It does thrust you forward. That's a fact,' she said. Arroyo agrees, noting that the Oscars no longer hold the power they once did. 'Hollywood insiders still fight over the golden statue, but it’s more of a status symbol within the industry than outside of it,' he told Fox News Digital. 'Here’s a question: what movie won best picture this year and last year? I’ll bet you don’t know. Neither do most people.'
The shift in public perception is evident in the words of various Hollywood luminaries. Denzel Washington, a two-time Oscar winner, dismisses the awards as not being a driving force in his career. 'I don’t care about that kind of stuff,' he said. 'I’ve been at this a long time, and there’s time when I won and shouldn’t have won and then didn’t win and should’ve won. Man gives the award. God gives the reward.'
Matt Damon, another Oscar winner, shares Washington's sentiment. He has been turned off by the culture surrounding the awards, particularly the campaigning that goes into winning an Oscar. 'What I don’t like is this idea of campaigning,' he said. 'It seems completely backwards to me and odd. Maybe it’s good for movies, just having it all out there and gets the culture thinking and talking about movies. I hope that’s the case.'
Ethan Hawke, nominated at this year's Academy Awards, once called the award show 'asinine.' He clarified his comments, acknowledging the Oscars' ability to recognize great work, but also pointing out the overlooked films and performances due to mass marketing. Anthony Hopkins, another Oscar winner, finds the campaigning 'disgusting.' He emphasizes that the awards have become more about sucking up to producers than about the art of cinema.
Joaquin Phoenix, an Oscar winner, is even more vocal in his disdain for the awards. 'I’m just saying that I think it’s bulls---. I think it’s total, utter bulls---, and I don’t want to be a part of it,' he said. 'I don’t believe in it.' Phoenix's statement came before his 2020 win at the Academy Awards, where he referred to the awards as 'a carrot' being dangled in front of an actor, but called it 'the worst-tasting carrot' he's ever had in his life.
Bradley Cooper, who has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards, agrees with Arroyo's comparison of the Oscars to the tire industry. 'You have to remember this was always Hollywood granting awards to Hollywood. It’s an insider industry award, granted by those within the industry. It’s really no different than the tire industry awarding best tire salesman of the year,' he said. The Oscars, once a symbol of cinematic excellence, are now a mere blip in the radar of the general public, with many questioning their relevance in today's streaming-driven landscape.
