And after all of this time, I’ve figured out why: everyone here’s excited about the event. It’s what for me has become the “old” case of buzz creating buzz creating buzz. Someone here for the first time talking about someone they’ve always wanted to see that’s here, who in turn is talking about someone else or some other thing they’re excited about. It’s really that simple.
But what’s interesting is behind the scenes as the preparation for the big show takes place. Like the somewhat more austere design of The Red Carpet, what four years ago was once awash in gold, white, black, and red, and with ample number of hedges, has now been reduced to a simple red and black color scheme. And all because, as one source happened to say off-the-cuff, The Academy didn’t want to have “this glittery, lavish place when people watching were living paycheck-to-paycheck.”
When I was told that, I realized I forgot that the very image of The Oscars itself can be thought of as a political statement, and not just what someone says during their acceptance speech.
It’s funny how issues like problems with a floral vendor who may have different presentation ideas can result in altering the entire look of a production as large as The Red Carpet, but (and I can’t go into more detail) that’s essentially what happened in planning for the 2012 layout. The final Red Carpet you will see on television is the end of a long road of contracts, actions, arguments, and installations. The Red Carpet is the best example of the observation that you don’t want to see how the sausage is made, but you’ll certainly enjoy eating it.