Since its start, this award show season has been filled with excitement. Was Timothée Chalamet snubbed? Wasn’t Demi Moore’s speech so great? What is Emilia Pérez and why does everyone hate it so much? So much for us to dissect; maybe too much. The discussions surrounding this year’s Academy Awards may be indicative of a broader cultural shift in which controversy and clickbaiting triumph artistic integrity. It’s important to ask: do the Oscars even like movies anymore?

As a self-described cinephile, the Oscars are akin to my personal Superbowl. My friends and I make a point of seeing each best picture nominee to make our own predictions and choose our personal favorites. Surprisingly, this didn’t seem to be the practice of many Academy members. Each year, Oscar winners are decided based on a plurality vote taken by members of the Academy of Motion Pictures. This year, however, anonymous accounts from members give insight into some troubling truths. What do Dune: Part Two, The Brutalist, and I’m Still Here have in common? They’re all best picture nominees that Academy voters have admitted to not completing, stating “The first Dune, I couldn’t get through; I’m not rushing for another three hours of Dune” (The Hindu 2024), or that they “didn’t get around to” watching The Brutalist. This admittance of a lack of care and attention from the very people deciding on these awards shows a concerning apathy towards the very art meant to be celebrated.

But enough about the movies, what about the controversies? Karla’s tweets, Adrien’s AI, the possibilities are endless! As I was sitting and watching the ceremony with my friends, one of them asked “I wonder what this year’s Will Smith slap moment will be?” and in that moment, I realized I was waiting for the exact same thing. Are we watching this for the love of film, or for the love of spectacle? And if it’s the latter, is that really such a bad thing? Perhaps this take is looking into it too far, creating a problem out of what is simply a fun night. But on the other hand, maybe this attitude towards events celebrating art is emblematic of a cultural shift against an emphasis on creativity, and towards one of voyeuristic spectacle; but maybe that’s just Hollywood.