Is there no more US born actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, writers, makeup artists, costume designers, lighting or sound technicians, set designers or any other Hollywood professionals? I watched the Academy Awards Sunday night. I have watched the Oscars every year since the early 1950’s, when I was a wee child. I have never seen so many awards go to the foreign born, not to mention foreign films. Don’t other countries have awards to give to their actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, writers, makeup artists, costume designers, lighting or sound technicians, set designers, etc.? Why must we give them a uniquely American reward? Can’t their own countries reward them? I suspect sometimes they do, resulting in what I would call double dipping. For shame!
I did not keep an accurate tally, but I do not believe I saw more than two or three US nationals receive Oscars during the evening. Even when I thought a winner might be American, mostly because of his or her name, their mouth would open and out would come a foreign accent. I am not parochial in my outlook; I enjoy a lot of the foreign born, especially those with Australian accents. Irish, French and Scottish are some others I particularly like. Also on the list is Jamaican, and those of the Indian sub continent. Italian is nice, as is Greek and Egyptian. But do they have to win all the Oscars?
A film critic on Sunday Morning, the TV show, espoused that who receives an Academy Award is a political contest, not really a reward for excellent artistic expression. If so, what does having all foreign born winners say about current politics among the Hollywood community?
Perhaps if this trend continues, it would be just as well to hold the Oscar ceremony elsewhere in the world so the recipients do not have to travel so far. And another thing, 99% of the fashions at the Oscars this year sucked. Bummer!
