The Oscars Are My Super Bowl

The Academy Awards is a dramatic cocktail of pop culture obsession and a rare "monoculture" experience. In this episode, Luke Ferris explores why we still tune in 70 years later, even as the "magic" of movie-star mystery has been replaced by social media intimacy. Luke explains the mechanics of the show and why the most moving moments often happen far away from the headlines.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Lore of the Movie Star: How the Oscars originally served as a rare window into the lives of the industry's most ambiguous figures.
• The Modern Draw: Why we trade movie star mystery for "watercooler" viral moments. 
• The Host Factor: Why hosting is the toughest gig in showbiz and how it sets the tone for the night.
• Politics and Platforms: How the Oscars create a platform for artists to speak on the “now.” 
• The Heart of the Show: Why the “In Memoriam” segment and the speeches from short film and documentary winners remain the most soulful parts of the broadcast. 

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Sources for this episode:

• Royalty-free music and sound effects via Artlist.com
• The First Oscar Broadcast in Color: 1966 Oscars
• 'Flow' Wins Best Animated Feature Film | 97th Oscars Speech (2025)
• A history of unscripted moments at the Oscars
• JOHN TRAVOLTA THE BIGGEST OSCAR FAIL EVER! Idina Menzel BUTCHERED
• Conan O'Brien's Hilarious Opening Monologue | 97th Oscars 2025

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Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

The Oscars are my Super Bowl. For as long as I was old enough to stay up past APM Eastern time, the Academy Awards has been an evening circled on my calendar every Sunday in the late winter. Why? It's the pageantry, absurdity, and celebration of all things movies.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

And now, for the first time in color, the 38th! One of the highlights of Academy Award night is the arrival of glittering celebrities.

SPEAKER_05 1:19

The Oscars originally were such a big deal because it was one of the only times when the public got to witness movie stars as people. Outside of magazine cover stories or a tonight show appearance, access to actors, directors, and industry artists was ambiguous at best. It's really what created the lore around a movie star. All we knew about them was the characters they played, the regality on the Oscars red carpet, and maybe a curated magazine photo shoot once a year. Nowadays, the mystery and magic of the Sunday at the Oscars isn't access to the stars, because with social media and multimedia marketing campaigns, we have intimate access to them. Although, who's in the room still matters? I mean, Kylie Jenner alongside Timothy Chalamet is must-see TV. Today, with our competition and controversy-addicted culture, the Oscars provides a rare live television formula for drama with people that are the most powerful figures in pop culture. To Edina Menzil, to La Laland, to the notorious slap, people are turning into the Oscars for a potential watercooler or more accurately viral moment to debate, discuss, and dismantle for a few days on pop culture podcasts and comment threads.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Please welcome the wickedly talented one and only dozen. No, there's a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won best picture. This is not a joke.

SPEAKER_05 4:16

Now, I would always watch the Oscars, but having one of my favorite comedians and fellow long-legged small torso, Conan O'Brien, return as host is a huge draw for me to tune in. And for you, it might be different if someone else hosted. It's famously one of the toughest and most unforgiving gigs in show biz, but the host typically sets the tone for the entire night, and that tone can be a draw or retraction from the event.

SPEAKER_04 4:42

Now, yes, many people we celebrate tonight are not famous. They're not wealthy, but they are devoted to a craft that can in moments bring us all a little closer together. Now, for almost a century, we have paused every spring to elevate and celebrate an art form that has the power and it's very bad to unite us. So, yes, even in the face of terrible wildfires and divisive politics, the work, which is what this is about. The work continues next year, for years to come, trauma, trauma, and joy. This seemingly absurd ritual is gonna be here. I will not. And I'd like to see you there. But then the magic, the madness, the grandeur and the joy of film worldwide is gonna be with us forever. So without further delay, let's get things started.

SPEAKER_05 5:53

Then there's the actual awards competition. There's winners and losers, there's Oscar picks and Oscar parties, there's this fantasy sportsization of an award show. Now, I'm all sucked into this, and many of the modern film bro culture follows this award season and Oscars race starting now, like the 2027 Oscars. They're talking about it now. There's a fine line between gamesmanship of the Oscars from both uh consumption and behind the scenes of how the awards are, that can be debated. I suggest reading The Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood and Gold, Sweat and Tears by Michael Shulman. It's a great book that shows how the sausage is made in this unique but highly popular award show. All these things that I'm talking about are a dramatic cocktail mixture to make the Oscars one of the few live spectacles that can attract a monoculture experience outside of the Super Bowl. I mean, the Oscars is just an industry event or conference. That's why when people complain or think the Oscars wasn't good or it wasn't as good as it used to be, I just kind of laugh. I mean, it's a televised industry awards show. If you're a working professional, you've probably been to one of these: a dark conference hall with round tables, awkward conversations, and rubbery chicken dinners. So it's pretty amazing that this event still is what we talk, watch, and care about every late February, early March. And why all of the things I've mentioned are reasons that the Oscars are my Super Bowl, there's two things that really keep me coming back. No matter the host, nominees, or films celebrated. First is the segment of the show where the industry artists that passed away the previous year are celebrated. It's a cathartic moment to memorialize our favorite directors, artists, and on-screen stars that have given us so much joy over the decades. It's a strange parasocial moment, and every year I'm surprised how emotional I get seeing the figures from the previous year that we lost. And while the beauty of film is that will forever, as long as we live, have their memory imprinted on Celluloid, it's also a mourning moment that we won't get anything new in an event celebrating the newest and best movies that are made. And I'm sure this year it's gonna be heart-wrenching. But it's something that I always come back to, and that is a moment in the year where I can look back, reflect, and be thankful for some of my favorite artists that have impacted my life and my consumption of film. While we all love the Oscars for the pageantry, star power, and unscripted moments, this year I suggest something different while you're watching. Closely watch the speeches of the trades, short films, and documentaries. Observe their emotions, listen to their words, and see the joy emanating from their souls.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

And the Oscar goes to flow.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Um thank you to the Academy, and thank you to the Sunday chairman joining us, and thank you to Blender, and thank you to my mom and the mud, and thank you to my cats and the mugs. Um this is um really um the reception number film has been home open of the worst independent and nomination filmmakers. This is the first number from Monthly and has ever been nominated, so it really means a lot. We must overcome our differences and find ways to work together. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 10:31

These are the unsung artists that pursued a dream that worked tirelessly and never gave up. The beauty of the Oscars are in these unheralded moments when we can all see a piece of ourselves and the winners not mentioned in the headlines on Monday. So, while the Oscars may feel like an archaic event of stuck-up Hollywood elites, it's more than that. It's an annual tradition to celebrate the beauty of filmmaking, the artists that create our memories and our moments of joy over the past year, and recognize the unsung heroes, the ones that make films for the love of making films, that sent all these famous stars and celebrities that you see on the red carpet along a path. And while there's winners and losers just like the Super Bowl, there's something a bit different about the Oscars. It's not about who gets the trophy at the end, it's that we continue to celebrate, tell more stories, make more movies, and invest in more creative works. To inspire us all in the next year to come. Least Important Things is a podcast about movies, friendship, and finding meaning in the most important of the least important things in our lives. It's hosted and created by me, Luke Ferris. Please remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and connect with us on social media. You can find those links in the show notes. We have a Patreon where you can become a free member to receive email alerts when a new episode is released, and exclusive content. And for the same price as a fake miniature Oscar statue, you can become a friend of the show and get a least important thing sticker, a handwritten note from me, and more special surprises to come. Supporting the show helps us cover the cost of our production tools and helps us make more episodes like this one. Join us at patreon.comslash least important things. And we'll talk to you next time on least important things.