The Oscars (Part II)

   People love to hate the Oscars. Everyone always has something to say about a nominee or the host. There is always going to be "too much politics" or "not enough people from x group of people." And of course; the Oscars are the most pointless thing. It's a bunch of overpaid individuals getting praised for being who they are.

   But I love it. I love it.

   I said this last year when I watched my first Oscars and I'm just here to say it again.

   Art is so important. Whoever thinks otherwise can honestly fight me. Movies are art and they matter because they have power. As much as we like to think it's stupid to be an actor, they have the power to make change. Sure, it's kinda shallow that we will listen to actors before we listen to politicians or people of a "real position." But that's the position they're in. Whether or not I agree with every actors political view, I really appreciate how they use their voice to stand up for something they believe in.

   I even love listening to their acceptance speeches that only list a bunch of names because they're naming real people who have real stories. They all worked hard and got a lucky break at some point in order to be up there, and there are people, their family and friends, that helped them and inspired them to get there. I don't know who any of those people are who won awards, but I know they were living a dream. I get secondhand joy watching people. I cried because I'm a sympathetic crier. I feel their happiness like it's my own and I know how much I would be feeling if I was accepting an award for making art.

   Again, I said this last year, but you don't have a right to be mad when politics are brought up in ceremonies that celebrate art. Art and politics are intertwined. Movies are made as a representation or a response to real issues that are happening today. Movies have the ability to make us think and make us act. Art exists for this reason. Movies are the product of someone's story, life, and vision. Movies are made because people wanted to say something. They're not made by robots. They're thought out and planned by people who have dreams and fears and aspirations. They are made by people who have experienced hurt and joy that have contributed to how the film is created. People see a need, and they rise. They create a movie to inspire people to make a change.

   And don't you dare tell me that movies can't create change.

   My sister wouldn't want to study psychology if Short Term 12 had never been made. Movies have helped me become the person I am today: Mad Max: Fury Road, Silence, The Sandlot, The Breakfast Club, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Good Will Hunting, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and honestly so many more that I can't even give credit to. Movies help you feel more empathy. They help you understand. Movies are how I relate to people. I've made so many friends just by discussing movies.

   The movie that changed my life would be Hangman's Curse. A cheesy, terribly done movie about high school and bullying. It has the worst dialogue, corny acting, and a vast array of plot holes. But when I saw it when I was ten years old, I knew I would never be the same. I saw that kids were hurting and there was something bigger than myself. It was the reason why in middle school I always said I wanted to change the world. That movie showed me how to connect to others and really showed me what it was to love.

 
   A documentary that changed my life was The Woodmans; the story of a young photographer who committed suicide in 1981. If I hadn't seen that film, I never would have decided to experiment with black and white photography. I never would have realized that art doesn't have to be pretty. I never would have developed what would eventually become my signature style. I probably would have stuck to pretty portraits and happy themes, which wouldn't have been able to impact me the way black and white photography has.

   I'm sure it's not just me. Everyone has that one movie that changed their life, right? Everyone knows how it feels to walk out of a theater and feel like a character in the movie. Sometimes we feel odd for days after because it reached us on such a profound level.

   Movies make people feel like they're apart of something. It's a sense of community. I suppose one person could theoretically make a movie on their own, but as a general statement, movies are made with hundreds of people doing hundreds of jobs. Thousands of people experience those films once they're made. Each person brings in their own baggage and background and mindset and it shapes the film and shapes how the film is seen. And if that doesn't blown your mind than I don't know what will.

   Watching the Oscars makes me dream. I'm sure I'll never win one in my lifetime, but if I can be a part of something in any way, I will have felt I lived. I want to bring in as much passion into the musical I'm doing at my community college as I would if I were making a movie, because it doesn't matter if I never get anywhere or if not a lot of people will see it; it just matters that some people were impacted. Some people will appreciate it. Not everyone has to see your art, but if you can move one person, you're that much closer to changing the world. We can't change the world all at once, but we can do it one person at a time.

   Please keep creating art. Keep appreciating the existence of art. Keep living and dreaming and being inspired. Keep going to the theater. Keep loving.

   Love. Love. Love.

   Love things. Love people. Love the stupid things that don't matter and will be here today and gone tomorrow. Because all those stupid little things add up to create the human experience. They create life.