Putting aside the entanglements of these people, William White himself was quite conflicted. Evita, which had successfully been nominated for an Oscar, had almost become one of the hottest films.
"Big hit, darn it, you guys are unfair." William White thought to himself. He was really conflicted because, generally speaking, films that are the favorites don't have much luck.
Moreover, this year, there wasn't much of a real chance. The reason being that it clashed with Gandhi.
From any angle, Evita couldn't compete with Gandhi, except for at the box office. And speaking of box office, could it compete with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
So, this year's Oscars were fiercely competitive. Well, someone was patting themselves on the back again. The competition wasn't actually fierce; he was just set to fall flat on his face again.
"Darling, you're really not gonna walk the red carpet?"
"I declined. Didn't make Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay doesn't interest me. Why make a fool of myself?"
"Oh dear, what should I do then?"
"Silly girl, you're just an amateur. To get nominated your first time acting, what do you expect? That's already quite the achievement."
"So, who will it be this time?"
"Meryl... oh wait, Miss Streep."
"Wow, you're impressed again."
"Well, she's from a respectable family."
"They are respectable too."
When serious people start mimicking cat sounds, the whole world quieted down. As for that so-called Oscar, it wasn't worth attending.
...
"What? Only the crew will attend, and actors will be on stage?"
"Yes, sir. Apparently, William White has an important arrangement and simply can't make the time."
"Ah, let's hope nothing goes wrong this time. Remember, don't joke about him; it could cause big trouble."
Hollywood really didn't have any secrets. The news that William White wouldn't attend the awards ceremony spread quickly.
Anyway, industry insiders found it difficult to understand what the Academy was thinking. Judging by William White's stance, it seemed this year was another scenario where a favorite might falter.
Isn't it often said that insiders are clueless?
Now, it was quite strange. The reason William White wasn't attending was likely because he guessed the outcome. Otherwise, he wouldn't do this.
The issue was, you're the hot contender right now, with ten nominations in total. Even E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is hardly comparable.
Could it be, it's Gandhi?
...
Industry folks were still puzzled, and the general audience was even more confused. Evita was very entertaining, and the music was lovely. What was Gandhi? Could you eat it?
Well, many Americans indeed didn't know who Gandhi was, nor did they know about his achievements. They didn't even know about that whole country.
Some were surprised to find these two films had one thing in common: they were hellbent on sticking it to the British. Anyway, the theme was straightforward -- the unpopularity of colonialism.
England found sorrow in realizing that what they cherished as supreme glory was, in others' eyes, nothing short of unforgivable.
No matter how tangled the Oscars were, NBC didn't hesitate to hype things up. They didn't care who would win; their boss clearly had no hope for this one.
Since that was the case, might as well make use of the "scrap." Thus, all kinds of Oscar scandals were brought to the television screen. The overarching theme was the voting process's inherent shadiness, so everyone should just focus on the film's quality and not care who would win.
...
Initially, it was thought that trouble would come after the awards ceremony. Now it seemed the Oscar committee would be swamped.
"Dammit, is this guy planning to destroy the Oscars?" A gray-haired old man roared, but unfortunately, no one seemed to care about his thoughts.
...
The so-called film academy wasn't really a school; this bunch was just a nonprofit organization. Much like that ridiculous comic review department.
People give them respect, and the Academy gains authority. Without respect, they're just nobodies.
William White wasn't planning on pleasing these old timers. To him, these folks were merely in the way. Comparatively, the Golden Globes, though having fewer judges, had more expertise. These old guys only lived in the past and lacked basic understanding of today's film market.
In William White's view, from any angle, Speed and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial should have won. It's not about their box office performance but that both films pioneered new models.
Yet E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial didn't receive many nominations, and Speed was directly out.
It was laughable. Not even a Best Cinematography nomination, which infuriated William White. How could this bunch, with their eyes wide shut, have any right to judge his films?
As for the nomination of Evita, well, William White had already realized it. Though not entirely sure, he basically served as a backdrop again.
Darn, so belittling the small and exalting the great is fun, huh?
Fine, let's be utterly unreasonable.
...
The old guys at the film academy were mad as hell. They obviously understood William White's intentions. But what could they do? If not careful, couldn't he just up and leave?
If such a soap opera scenario really happened, should they even bother holding the Oscars next year? Building a brand is tough; tearing it down is incredibly easy. See that? The man was exposing your shady past.
Counter it?
Hilarious. The Oscars were indeed bought with money. Dare deny it?
"Dammit, what's this about too much religious symbolism?"
As the old timers were about to explode, NBC had new tricks up their sleeves. Though not overly explicit, they made their attitude crystal clear.
"This bunch of idiots were basically exchanging favors. That ridiculous little gold statue could be purchased because the judges were mostly money-driven."
Once NBC's promotion wrapped up, Hollywood was left in shambles. No one discussed the Oscars anymore, and it no longer mattered if such a thing existed.
...
William White was indifferent to all this. He no longer cared about the Oscars. Since they weren't of use to him, he might as well give those jerks a tough time.
"Haha, Barry, let it be for now. Only taking punches and not throwing any isn't much fun either."
"Understood, Mr. White."
Barry Diller was secretly grumbling. After such a move, what else could people do? Keeping silent might be the best choice. If they really stirred up trouble, it wouldn't be this kind of scene now.
New York was already a bit chilly, and Barry Diller believed those academy old folks were likely stone cold. Hard to fathom if these guys were genuinely dumb or just playing dumb. Now it's resulted in a complete standstill.
The Oscars were undoubtedly in deep freeze too. Regardless of what they chose, this Oscar ceremony would be a joke. Hopefully, these idiots learned their lesson and wouldn't pull any stunts again.
*****
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