Post-Oscars musings: on underdogs, the buzz and the pageantry machine

The 85th Academy Awards aired less than 24 hours ago. Some of you may have enjoyed a night in to watch with a pizza and a cold beer, or you met up at a friend's place for an Oscar Party. The die-hard filmgoer may have considered the Sarasota Film Society's big-screen showing at Burns Court and Lakewood Ranch Cinemas. We all had our personal favorites and our eyes on various categories.

I tried my best, but I just could not get to see all of this year’s nominees. I was on a roll, renting and heading to the theaters, then I stalled. Another big show of pageantry took me away: the Westminster Dog Show. My eyes turned away from all the tweets I was following on Oscar Buzz and Sundance and I found myself following another kind of campaigning.

I have no interest in choosing winners. Underdogs, however, steal my heart. Last year, I was rooting for Gary Oldman to take Best Actor in a Leading Role. I knew it was a long shot for him and even comically compared him to the Scottish Deerhound at Westminster. He’s edgy, sophisticated and not a breed that is familiar in the average family home.

There are fascinating parallels and similarities between these award shows. It’s big money, and a machine at work. You have the standard, then you have the subjectivity of artistry or type and that thing called politics. This year, I spent more time and attention on Hugh Jackman. Why can’t I find anything wrong with him? Everyone loves him. He’s like the Golden Retriever of the show. If you want results from marketing your print ad, put a Golden in it. Look at the likability factor---the mainstream knows this breed.

Maybe I’m being silly. But then I looked a bit further. You have investors in teams, “agents” (known in dog shows as the "handler") and you have aggressive campaigning in the trades. Where film insiders peruse Hollywood Reporter and Variety, in the dog show world it’s Dog News or The Canine Chronicle. We take out ads and creatively request the judges to “please consider."

Who or what is behind the "Oscar buzz" anyhow? Money is invested, money is earned and money will multiply when a trophy is won. Stud fees for dogs rise when they gain more wins. Suddenly, new potential investors may enter the field. Let’s keep the machine running, shall we?

Before my frustration grew I remembered the World Figure Skating Championships would to be coming up after the Oscars. I followed the same vein of critiques in this sport. Is it much different from Westminster or the Oscars? Some choose not to enter their dogs at particular events as to prevent overexposure to a particular judge or system. On the other hand, ringside chatter is everywhere; maybe you still liked a skater’s "performance" even if heavy-duty schmoozing seduced that particular regional judge.When a film or performance wins an Oscar, are they now really on our “must-see” movie list? The post-Oscar rush to theaters and renting soars, and you find yourself watching that film you really didn’t want to see before, because now everyone is not only talking about it, but it won a prize! It's a familiar phenomenon in the dog show scene, too: Following Banana Joe winning Best In Show at this past Westminster, the press went wild. People who were never into dogs were suddenly cooing to family members, “I want an Affenpinscher!” Were they even able to pronounce it before the big show?

For those of you who did get out and see all nominees, I applaud you. I’d ask how you did it, and I’m certain I’d get a reply like, “I wasn’t busy watching dog shows on Livestream.” Last night was drummed up to be of the most exciting nights in the business, although I personally wasn't impressed with the production. I wasn't surprised by the winners because I'd been following the hype for a month leading up to it. Ultimately, though, we still watch---even the most jaded industry folks were watching, quick to tweet disdain or delight. Let's face it: There’s politics in anything that's creative or open for subjectivity. We love the Oscars and the pageantry of it all because we love our movies.