Don't I know you from the cinematographer's party?

I love the Oscar's.

I really do.

Deep inside I want to be able to dislike them and say: I won't watch them, I don't care who wins, it's just a bunch of self-righteous Hollywood-ites celebrating themselves. While some of this may be true, I always watch them anyway.

What allows me to submit myself to the consciousness of popular viewership is not the outfits, or the stars (I still don't give a crap about them) or the red carpet or the after parties. It's the stories. The movies themselves. I love to watch and learn about new movies; about movies I might never watch otherwise; about movies past I have vaguely heard of and want to watch; about movies I have watched in the past year and loved or hated.

Story-telling in its various forms have been essential to the culture of mankind. Even today we still know, and re-tell, and re-read stories Homer wrote in Ancient Greece. Even before then there were vast oral traditions and stories were told from person to person, generation to generation.

Movies are merely stories that capitalize on new media that allows a story-teller to reach many people. The intricacies of telling this story - from the lighting to the actors to the script all work together to create art that is beyond the story itself.

Movies have the ability to transport us somewhere else. They have us believe in their constructed reality and through that reality we have a shared experience with other viewers. While all movies are created to entertain, some are the Aesop of the their day - they provide the ability to discuss deeper issues and lessons beyond the movie itself. Having a shared experience with our fellow humans is also important - while we might not all read the same book anymore, we might have seen the same movie. The importance of reading aside, this common bond and interest provides a connection for some to the people around them, which is incredibly important for social norms.

When I was a senior in high school we had to analyze our favorite movies. After spending weeks analyzing all different movies I can remember wondering if I had "ruined" movies for myself for all time - would I be able to watch without wondering the symbolism of every object? Without seeing every action as a deeper expression of the plot and themes? Luckily I have forgotten most of what I learned (sorry Mr. Shea); to avoid ruining the Oscars in the same way, I will now stop with my diatribe on the importance of story in human culture.

Either way, you can be sure I'll be watch the Oscars next year. And I still won't give a crap about who's pregnant and who Joan Rivers thinks is poorly dressed.

Song of the Day: Largo Al Factotum - Rossini