Incredible. Brave. Powerful. Inspirational. Monumental. Fearless. These are just some of the words commonly used to describe the most noble professions in the world. For most, acting would not be considered as one of those professions. Yet the same superlatives are often used by Oscar winners to describe themselves, their colleagues and the work that they do.
This year’s Hollywood awards season has been just like any other. Some of the wealthiest, most rewarded and celebrated people in the world, making some of the most ill-conceived attempts at displaying humility, instead displaying the exact opposite. Essentially not being very good at, well, acting.
Even for many who love film and have an appreciation for the arts, the experience of sitting through an entire Oscars pre-show and awards ceremony usually involves bouncing between laughter, nausea, rage and despair. The levels of narcissism and lack of self-awareness on show is at times jaw-dropping.
Of course by their nature, creative artists can and perhaps should be forgiven for having a tendency to revert to the performative as soon as the cameras are on. To an extent. But watching the Oscars it can be hard not to wonder if celebrity culture has completely flipped the concept of humility on it’s head, and the word now means something else altogether.
You would think that with all the PR advice celebrities receive, surely someone would suggest to them that the collective self-celebration of a room full of famous millionaires might come across as slightly preposterous. But in a world where Amazon founder & CEO Jeff Bezos can claim to be the world’s leading philanthropist, perhaps it makes perfect sense for Lady Gaga to react to her Oscar win as though she has just discovered a cure for cancer.
While struggling through the Oscars coverage, in an effort to avoid gouging our own eyes out, The Circular managed to compile a list of other professions that would be far more deserving of the earnest praise that Hollywood bestows on itself for making a true difference in the world. Here are just ten.
1. Nurses
2. Humanitarian Aid Workers
3. Fire Fighters
4. Paramedics
5. Nursing Home Assistants
6. Animal Care Attendants
7. Social Workers
8. War Correspondents
9. Speech Therapists
10. Coastguard Volunteers
It was at this point in the list that The Circular concluded it’s rant and began to relax a little bit. After all, there are less noble vocations than acting. Like for example, advocating luxury hotel chains.