Award shows

So I am just getting ready to go to bed when I recalled something that I though was worthy of note. Yes I get ideas at odd times, I'm a nite owl. I can't take credit for this, David Spade on his show The Showbiz Show had spoken about the plethora of Black/African American themed Award shows.

He did hit a cord on that one as he is right. With the Oscars, finally, acceptance of the fact that there are a number of Black actors worthy of recognition, such as Denzel Washington (though not for that role in my opinion) and Jamie Foxx (definiately for that role), is this the time to splinter off and have exclusive Awards?

Yes, 30 or more years ago, even 10ish years ago I could see the need. But now after making strides and getting the confirmation of peers long overdue, what's the point. Do movies like the remakes of the Honeymooners, Who's Coming Home to Dinner or original movies such as whatever Friday is the latest or Soul Plane really deserve to be given awards? Yes, the oversights (or slap in the face if you preffer) to movies like Spike Lee's Malcolm X are hard to forget, but where have the serious films worth consideration gone.

I doubt if any of the rappers-can-act-too-I-think movies are anywhere above a bad rating, and far from an Oscar caliber performance. The actors who deserve the opportunity to shine, like Morgan Freeman, Queen Latifah (a rare exception to the rapper rule) and others shouldn't be bogged down by the drive of major studios to cash in on the "If it stars Black actors we have to see it and support" attitude prevalent today.

Increasing the number of Award shows (which now includes Black Movie Awards, BET Awards, Source Hip Hop Awards and Vibe Awards - yes not all movies but the point still stands) does not help increase the quality of movies made, nor the ability of good actors getting the roles they deserve. I think it hinders them by reinforcing the notion in the public eye that Black actors can't pull off leading roles in non-Black oriented movies. If the public fails to see these movies the actors, directors and everyone else involved just had their chances drop precipitously[sp? not sure if its a word].

I mean to say that there aren't alot of movies for these Award show to present, of truely high caliber just as there aren't many for the Oscars. I mean a show where the Honeymooners lead is compared to Don Cheadle in Crash or Terence Howard in Hustle and Flow is sad.

And what does it say to the masses? That the best that can be offered is the occasional stand out actor - (I'm not forgetting the women, the list would be too long) like Mr. Howard, Foxx, Washington, Cheadle, Jasckson (Samuel) and Freeman - in the occassionaly stand out movie... but the meat and potatoes of black acting is Get Rich or Die Trying, Beauty Shop, or Guess Who?

I think we should expect more. I think that putting out Award shows, or movies for that matter, with the only goal of making quick cash from a cheap production because it's known that the culture wants to support and nurture and grow its talented people is sad.

What do you think?