Do You Care About Awards?

The calendar crept into December last week while I wasn't looking, which means there is less than a month left in the year. Which means that movie studios have fewer than 30 days to release their movies in order for them to be eligible for the 2006 award season (which takes place in 2007). But despite all the hooplah, it seems there is a dwindling interest in the awards -- TV ratings have been down lately, with the Oscar telecasts in 2006 and 2003 being the lowest rated in recent years -- so I have to wonder: do you care about awards?

Personally I enjoy them, particularly the Oscars, but I admit I get tired by the whole thing. I mentioned before I hate the way the awards season screws up movie releases, but the endless hype and speculation that seemingly begins six months out tends to burn me out.

That said, the awards discussion does usually point me toward good movies I might have otherwise missed, so there is some real merit in that sense. It also ecnourages studios to care about the quality of at least some of their movies, as a big Oscar win translates into extra bucks at the box office that high marks from critics do not.

I also admit to being a little bit of a sucker for the ceremony itself (though again the only one I watch is the Oscars). It's long and stupid, but it's fun to watch and complain about. It's a weird tradition for me -- I remember watching the Oscars with my mom as a kid and doing exactly the same thing -- and so I enjoy it. But I definitely see how others would consider it the height of tedium.

So what about you? Do you like awards, or not?