Death of Award shows
Why is the popularity of award shows declining?
There once was a time when award shows used to be the events of the year.
Awards were the one thing many looked forward to. Whether it be the Oscars or Grammys, award shows united fans from all over the world. People would marvel at the styles of their favourite stars and enjoy the drama, entertainment and juicy gossip.
To many, award shows were bigger than the Super Bowl. They were a status a symbol. They were known as the place where legends made their mark. But somewhere along the way, the culture shifted. Intrigue is fading. The spark is dying. What is left behind? Are red carpets for an audience of crickets?
Sometimes I wonder, is it because I grew up? Am I no longer obsessed with the same things? Or am I just too busy? I think it is a mix of all those elements. However, it is also because celebrity worship is dead and has been for a long time now. Obsessing over people who do not care about my well-being is overrated. The new social currency is no longer being on the internet or keeping up with celebrities. It is about being detached from the digital world completely.
People are busy with their lives. People are busy trying to make ends meet. Inflation won’t even let us catch a breath. People have stopped caring. I also believe that this is due to the internet and the fact that peoples’ priorities shift within hours.
Another important point is that today, celebrities are shoved into our faces every waking second. We get no break from them. Naturally after some time, it just gets boring and too repetitive. You can see your favourites on every single platform any time, all the time.
Furthermore, people have realized that award shows are not a measure of talent. Politics, industry connections and bad voting decisions play a huge role in who wins an award, and who goes home empty-handed.
Not to mention, nobody watches cable anymore because everyone is streaming . Unless the Grammys are streaming on Netflix, I most likely won’t watch them. I would much rather spend three hours crocheting or colouring or taking part in my other hobbies. I would even watch trashy reality TV rather than wasting time on an award show.
The reality is that award shows are just completely out of touch with reality. They used to set cultural trends, but in an age of TikTok and other social media apps, they struggle to keep up. Death of award shows is due to how media consumption has changed over the years, and the fact that people would much rather spend their time on other things that bring them joy. Celebrity culture has been on a decline for ages. Stan culture is dying out. It’s not because we are getting older, it’s because we are finally realizing how unimportant celebrities are.
