Oscars - why not the Nobels, the Fields, the BFAs ?

[Newc]

I see the annual "here's a prize for doing your well paid acting job" hype is under way, and appearing across various TV channels.

I wondered why either much more significant achievements - Nobels, Fields medal - or interesting trade awards - British Farming, COTY - don't receive equal levels of TV exposure. OK, I concede that the winner for Best Pigsty Design is not necessarily going to be as telegenic as a perky waif in a skimpy outfit, but aren't at least some of these areas of national life as interesting and deserving as the thesps ?

I'd say that a good chunk of the 'interest' in Oscars/Baftas is simply because they are constantly pushed through the screen, and there are no other choices. If the Nobels had as much fuss and build-up, Graham Norton slots, Daily Mail website, then everybody involved would step up their telegenic appeal anyway. I'm sure viewers would be keen to hear the back story of the scientist who grew up on a Glasgow council estate and went to Cambridge at 16 and has solved some fundamental energy problem.

In short, the Oscars get interest because they get coverage, not the other way round, and more significant awards are underserved.

[DanL]

I’m not sure an Oscars-style set of nominees and an envelope being opened would suit the awarding of a Nobel prize… It seems somewhat undignified?

[hairy v]

DanL said:

I’m not sure an Oscars-style set of nominees and an envelope being opened would suit the awarding of a Nobel prize… It seems somewhat undignified?

That's probably right - the Earthshot Prize hasn't got much publicity.

[Newc]

CheesecakeRunner said:

Newc said:

I wondered why either much more significant achievements - Nobels, Fields medal - or interesting trade awards - British Farming, COTY - don't receive equal levels of TV exposure.

Simply put, society in general doesn’t value the achievements of those people as much as it does those in the entertainment business.

Right, but my point is - how do we know ?

Society might only value the thesps because there are no other things shown as worth valuing.

If the British Farming Awards were given Oscars-level publicity and coverage for a few years, and got zero public response, then fair enough. But I don't think it's ever been tested.

[grumbledoak]

CheesecakeRunner said:

Simply put, society in general doesn’t value the achievements of those people as much as it does those in the entertainment business.

It is probably more than the entertainment business doesn’t value the achievements of those people as much as it does those in the entertainment business.