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Far From the Stage: A Post Oscars Reflection

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Oscar Statuette

There are many commentaries that could be generated from this year’s Oscars ceremony; the art of aging in Hollywood seemingly the most popular one, but something else stood out to me as I watched the notoriously lengthy production. The display of genuine emotion and celebration by the winners is directly proportional to the distance they are seated from the stage.

The farther away you get from the stage, the more likely the winners are to jump up and down, scream, cry, pump their fists, form an impromptu mosh pit and otherwise let their joy and excitement bubble to the surface with abandonment prior to their long jog to the stage. These are typically the unknowns – winners of categories such as Best Foreign Language Film, Best Animated Short Film, and Best Original Song to name a few. It is most certainly their first appearance at the Oscars, and for some, perhaps their last. They appreciate the experience, recognize the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ quality it possesses and therefore live in the moment, soaking up each drop. It is a stark contrast from the graceful, demure, faux humility expressed in many (but not all) A-listers. They are jaded, well accustomed to the grandiose of awards season and it shows. They don’t see the sparkling magic like the ingénues do and it drew for me a startling comparison to the different ways in which children and adults view and experience the world.

Children, like these Hollywood newcomers, experience life at full volume. They find joy and wonder in the simplest of everyday things that adults no longer even notice and they express this joy and wonder spontaneously and genuinely, instead of the reserved, polite expressions of happiness that adults have limited themselves to. They revel in the highest of highs and despair in the lowest of lows (often in the same breath) and aren’t afraid to let everyone around them know exactly how they feel at each and every turn.

I think we can all take a lesson from these 2 groups and (to paraphrase an overused saying) ‘sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like you’re far from the stage.’

3 Comments

  1. Good observation on the Oscars – didn’t realize that the distance from stage is connected to the amount of emotion! FASCINATING!! 🙂

    1. It is fascinating! I don’t watch ever year, just happened to catch the broadcast this time around and it seemed so obvious I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice it before. You find yourself rooting for the underdog every time!

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