Mamacita says:  I haven’t watched the Oscars for years. It’s not because I don’t groove on the host; that’s often the best part. It’s not because I didn’t enjoy any of the nominated movies, although I seldom go to the movies because it costs so much now. It’s not because I don’t admire the talent involved both in front of and behind the cameras.  I do admire it; it’s fabulous.

It’s because I can’t deal with the fact that a disgraceful amount of money is spent on stupid stuff that might better have been spent on worthwhile stuff.

When I see a lovely celebrity wearing sparkling gems and a designer gown, all I can think of is how many children’s shoes and coats might have been purchased with that money.

I look at a hairdo and think of all the hot meals that kind of money could have provided for children.

I read about the goodie bags and think about how all that money could have been so much better spent on books and socks and mittens and pencils and teddy bears instead of being wasted on all that ridiculous unneeded swag.

I look at pictures of gowns and shoes and wraps and tuxes and hair and jewels and think of the children in each and every community who don’t even know if they’re going to have anything to eat before free breakfast comes around again.  (Monday mornings are the saddest; some kids haven’t had any food since free lunch the Friday before.  Believe me; these kids don’t look forward to snow days.)

How can we justify spending all this money on overpriced dresses, elaborate hairdos, ridiculous swag, borrowed jewelry, pinching shoes, and name brands?  If I had this kind of money, I’d be dressing and feeding kids all over the place, not draping myself with designer nonsense I couldn’t even put on or take off by myself.

Am I the only person who sees these overpriced extravaganzas this way?

Don’t get me wrong; I firmly believe people deserve awards and rewards for their hard work and amazing talents; however, I think these elaborate displays would be so much better if they were perhaps a little less elaborate and the money were spent on our nation’s children.  I love the singing and dancing, but I just can’t deal with the display of wealthy wastefulness.  Why can’t we “notice” these people for their accomplishments, not their clothing?

I think our children deserve some awards and rewards and recognition for their hard work and amazing talents far more than these adults do.

Maybe if we concentrated our attention and delight and expectations on children, rather than on adults, and saved some of the attention, adulation, and swag for our talented & hardworking kids, we might end up with more adults who deserve glory, too.

I think focusing on marketing and glitz detracts from what the Oscars ought to be: public rewards for hard work and talent.  A person doesn’t need to dress like a walking advertisement,  an overpriced mannequin in a designer’s shop window, to be admired and remembered.  How many Oscar winners are known more for their outfits than for what they actually won the award for?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if the celebrities started wearing their own clothes to pick up their awards, and donated the cost of the overpriced, often ugly, dress to a local school or hospital?  That’s where the real winners are, remember.

Quite possibly I’m the only person in the world who views these presentations this way, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.  It might mean I’m alone, but that never stopped me from  thinking.

“Shoehorn.”

Bonus points if you know the source of THAT one.