Award Shows *sigh*

When The Martian won the 2016 Golden Globe award for "Best Film - Comedy or Musical", I realized that the "best of" picks of a small-town, one-person film fanzine (for example) are likely just as if not more valid than any major award show's selections, and the fanzine has a lot more integrity.

That, in turn, led me to finally come to the conscious realization that the major award shows have long been about keeping Hollywood in suspended animation, and mainstream movies in the driver's seat with regards making all the money, money, money. Together, these two "standards" have held back people and progress in the movie industry in many, many ways - from simple creativity to who gets to be involved and how.

And the awards themselves - the golden statuettes - are mere window dressing. The real "prize" these shows give out is the right to put "Academy Award nominee" or "Golden Globe winner" on future trailers and video releases. And not just for the films in question, but any future film or video release or television show; no matter how weak the connection. "From [i.e. produced by] Academy Award winning director...", "starring Golden Globe nominee...", and so on.

I personally would like to see a new kind of film award event, where every award category features five winners, five runner-ups and five honorable mentions; all announced at the event. The winners would all get to speak, maybe even the runner-ups. If not, the runners-up would at least be given a video spotlight, along with the honorable mentions.

This would go a long way towards stupid things* like The Martian winning "best comedy or musical", because they (the Golden Globes) wanted two dramas to get win a "best film" award. (Or accidentally promised to the people behind two different films that they would win "best film". You'd think they could at least rig the drama vote so it would be a tie, and both films would get an award; and, more importantly, they'd both be able to put "Golden Globe winner" on their Blu-ray release.)

* The "stupid thing" being a drama winning as a "comedy or musical". Having some humourous moments and a great pop-music soundtrack doesn't make a film a comedy or a musical. And I personally liked The Martian quite a bit.

Anyhoo...