Opinion: Why do we still care about award shows?

The 22nd annual SAMA awards took place on Saturday evening‚ and the slight music geek within me was reeling with excitement.

 However‚ for others‚ it was not just about the music: It was about the celebrities‚ the fashion‚ the wins‚ the blunders‚ and even the seemingly spontaneous shade-throwing.

As much as viewers love awards shows‚ the reality is that in the modern day‚ they are designed primarily to generate headlines and ad revenue. During these events‚ the passion‚ talent‚ and hard work of so many artists is boiled down into an easily consumable‚ highly subjective category of “best.”
 The awards themselves can feel like an afterthought‚ as the winners’ heartfelt speeches are often cut short by show producers working to ensure that there’s enough time for performances and highly lucrative commercial breaks.
 Viewers watch as the life’s work of an artist is deemed awardable — not by some objective ‘Music God‚’ but by industry executives with their own agendas. The outcomes and overall presentations are far more manipulated and audience-tested than the average viewer is led to believe — creating an event that is less about talent and more about making money.
 So‚ while society’s infatuation with celebrity is well-documented‚ it still doesn’t explain why we’ll sit through a 2-hour trophy presentation when a visit to almost any website on Monday morning will provide a winners list‚ a fashion rundown‚ GIFs of the best moments‚ think pieces and more.
What is it about the celebrities that is so enticing and alluring to watch? Why do we care about who wins and loses? Why do we watch even if we might not heard of the music that is nominated?
Well‚ it all boils down to the fact that we’re irrational creatures conditioned to appreciate any event where artists compete to crown a champion. It doesn’t matter that the awarding body has as much credibility as another Bill Cosby denial. Famous faces take trophies seriously‚ media outlets present the shows as must-see events and our unwavering interest grants them power. Therefore snubs and undeserving winners still elicit strong opinions.
Provided a window into a celebrity’s world
Award shows‚ such as the SAFTAs‚ SAMAs and the METROs‚ let us think we get a glimpse of the celebrities’ true selves. We can separate them from the characters they play in films or television. We like to think they answer questions genuinely on the red carpet‚ and that they accept their trophies with speeches (they seem) to have crafted themselves.
We like to judge people‚ and while watching an award show‚ we can do so freely. And‚ we like to see people fail. We love failure.
When watching award shows in our home with people we know‚ it gives us the liberty to ask ourselves: Do I agree with their choice for best female artist? Do I like Pearl Thusi’s dress?
We feel under pressure in contemporary culture to conform to particular norms surrounding celebrity and appearance‚ and celebrity culture does give us a chance to take back those norms and to challenge them in some ways‚ because our own opinion in the context of our living room matters just as much as the opinions of the judging body.
When a celebrity falls or says something wrong at an award show‚ we revel in seeing that failure. Just do a quick search on Twitter about AKA’s recent SAMA snub‚ under the hashtag #AKAwinanga.
Feeling like a celebrity — in your own right
We are humans and we long for camaraderie with our fellow humans. Award shows give us an opportunity to have a voice against the highest standards of beauty and fashion. In discussing what’s on the screen with our companions‚ the echelon of the rich and famous doesn’t seem so removed from our lives.

 

 

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