By: ᴢᴜɴᴢᴇɪʀʏ
Families from all over the world come together a few times each year to watch the same celebrities win the same awards. Some people, however, come for the drama, the gossip, and the “he said, she said.” Since their beginnings, popular awards shows have been placed smackdown, right in the middle of controversy and mysteries. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
The Oscars
Do you have what it takes? Will you be the next star on the screen? Being nominated for an award is every director’s, actor’s, and producer's dream, and movie fanatics like me love The Oscars. They surely lost some fans, though, after #OscarsSoWhite went viral. This was a response to the limited nominations for people of color. People found out that the academy awarded all 20 acting nominations to white actors in 2015 and viewership for The Oscars plummeted.
The Grammys
Many very popular artists have spoken out about their issues with the award show. Some artists have claimed that The Grammys are racist, sexist, and corrupt. Nicki Minaj for example, was shocked when she had seven songs continuously charting higher than every other female rapper, but did not receive the award for best new artist. The Weeknd took to Twitter to express his emotions and feelings as well, feeling he has been “snubbed” after receiving zero Grammy nominations. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency,” he said.
The biggest conspiracy, though, is that winning artists receive payouts. Some believe that artists who have snagged the shiny trophy walked away with up to six figures. It goes even deeper; many believe these artists are paid to say The Grammys aren’t rigged. My guess for the victim of 2021 is Megan Thee Stallion, who came out and said that they aren’t at all, but also went home with three awards.
Along with the theories that have been posted on the internet, it is quite obvious that there has been a pattern of favoritism over the years. Many artists, similar to Nicki Minaj and The Weeknd, and actors based in the film industry have boldly spoken up.
When someone sees a person that they adore and look up to being disrespected, they no longer are interested, which is why award show views are dipping. I believe they are only still holding up because fans are still into the gossip that surrounds it. At the end of the day, it depends on what kind of a viewer you are: one who still cares, one who doesn’t, or one that fans that fire.
Should you still watch every award show that happens every year? If you’re into it, I say go ahead, but it’s not everyone’s cup of coffee. (Yes, I prefer coffee over tea, which is very ironic considering the fact that the internet slang word “tea” quite literally means drama.) The views will always fluctuate when it comes to these topics because it truly is a personal preference. One thing I can say is the views will never end. There is always someone watching.