The Oscars and the Dead

The death of Heath Ledger has created a firestorm of speculation regarding a possible nomination and Academy Award for best actor. Most of the articles focus on how rare it is for the Academy to bestow an award upon a dead actor.

Veteran Oscar watcher O'Neil said was quoted in an article as saying "These awards are all about hugs and there's something creepy about embracing the dead."

Funny, I though the awards were about honoring the best actors, films, filmmakers, and other film production staffs. If the best just happens to pass away during that year this makes his/her work no longer the best? The person was alive while the work was created, just not during award season!

This just shows that the awards are not about honoring the best in the business. The voting is not based on who was the best but on who the voter "feels" is most deserving at that time of the award, regardless of the quality of the competition. This is how we get Shakespeare in Love and George Clooney Oscars.

Why bother to honor the dead? It is not like they can personally get the award. Hollywood likes a story and celebrates its own history. That is why the Oscars are called the 75th Oscars and not the 2008 Oscars. Near the end of every Oscar telecast there is a montage film of those actors and industry participants who passed away during that year. Hollywood needs the dead and should honor a deserving dead actor.

This entire discussion could be moot if another actor puts on a stronger performance or a strong performance which is equally deserving of an Oscar. But the debate about whether or not to grant a posthumous award at all, even to a deserving recipient is ridiculous.