Changing societal culture as seen through the Oscars’ lens

By now you know that Nomadland won Best Picture, Anthony Hopkins anti-climatically won Best Actor. You know the Oscars took place two months late. You know the facts, the shocks and the outcomes / effect. I wanted to start thinking more about the cause and effect. Covid-19 ravaged the world economy and healthcare systems, it forced the Oscars to delay the ceremony. But did it also affect which films won? Maybe. In essence, it has caused societal change. I discuss if its covid related and whether it will continue or not. It may even demonstrate how you can win in the long run.

This is a longer article based on over a decade of observations. For those who make it to the end, I guarantee it’ll be rewarding.

1.   Action leads to change: This year saw 9 actors of color reaping nominations (45%), which yielded two out of four winners (50%). An Asian born woman won Best Director. Women of color won Oscars for "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom".

Verdict: Non covid related / Will last. The #OscarsSoWhite campaign worked. Prepare for much more diversity :)

The winning formula: Build a more diverse team. Imagine the workforce of tomorrow - it will more closely reflect society. People of color, women, people with different personalities and persuasions. No job / role will be the exclusive domain of the country club, the rich or the entitled.

2.   Art, Meaning or Feeling? Going by art, Mank would have won. By Meaning – Trial of the Chicago 7 (TTC7). But Nomadland scored gold. Feeling wins.

Verdict: The power of feelings will last, but to a lesser extent than during covid. Covid invariably insured and guaranteed Nomadland’s victory. A feeling of drifting is true of these uncertain times. For me, Nomadland is akin to taking back control of your lives and living on your own terms. The silent majority may have seen themselves in Nomadland, even more so than TTC7 which is an homage to the civil liberties hard fought and won.

The winning formula: Work towards a majority of public opinion – and that means moderation and incrementalism (separate article this month). If you are pitching an idea remember it needs support. It can also be thought of as giving the people what they want, although there is a marginal difference. Genius is only genius when it affects a lot of people. Further, don’t upset people with your success, Aka – don’t be Avatar (2009).

3.   Designated insider or outsider? In 1998, homegrown epic Titanic won 11 Oscars. It’s a designated insider picture, written and directed by juggernaut James Cameron and backed by the powerful Fox studio machine. In the last 5 years – 3 smaller scale films have won (Moonlight, Parasite, Nomadland). 

Verdict: Non covid related / Will last. Insider (especially in Politcs) is considered a beast of the swamp. Outsiders will garner public support.

The winning formula: Get outsiders in. This is not point #1 which deals with women and minorities. Makeup companies go out and hire activists. Tech firms must hire not tech folks. Banks must hire non bankers, maybe even folks from artistic backgrounds. An outsiders perspective, at any level is worth more than “X” insiders.

4.  Everything is unprecedented until it happens once: For those who thought foreign language films could not win Best Picture, look no further than Parasite. Those who argue that only men can win as Directors – don’t go anywhere near Kathryn Bigelow and Chloe Zhao. If you thought foreign directors couldnt win - I'd remind you that only 1 American (Damien Chazelle) has won Best Director in the last 11 years.

Verdict: Marginally covid related / Will last. Covid has shown, decisively that we are all in this together. The disease affects everyone, and creates a sort of global community. Change happens slowly at first and then rapidly. Precedents have been thrown out of the window. In – person attendance, not required. Huge Dolby Theatre, not required. 

The winning formula: Much like the past, respect precedent, don’t revere it (Bob Iger). When a new idea comes along which could radicalize an industry be brave and take the plunge, incrementally. Don’t bet the ranch, but make a significant commitment to the new. Realize that anything is possible.

5.   Are front runners or underdogs the ultimate winners? Being a front runner carries with it the terrific burden of inevitability. We like fixed outcomes but only when we are in the running to receive the benefits of those outcomes. As an outsider observer, you might like the underdog. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Anthony Hopkins beating out Chadwick Boseman (shock and hurt). Some voters felt Boseman’s win was guaranteed, and enough voters pulled the lever for Hopkins and his inspired, heart wrenching performance.

Verdict: Covid related / Will last. Ours may well be the most empathetic generation yet. Covid’s impact isn’t in the death, it’s the pain and suffering we’ve felt not just for ourselves but for those around us.

The winning formula: Show things in human terms. Alleviate suffering, improve quality of life for your clients. These are not yet balance sheet line items but they are definitely human line items which win on over decision makers.

6.   Spread the wealth or hoard? Three pictures have won 11 Oscars; Ben Hur in 1960, Titanic in 1998 and Lord of Rings: Return of the King in 2004. Over the past 10 years most Best Picture winners won 3 – 4 Oscars. Nomadland won 3. All except 1 Best Picture nominee won an Oscar this year. We are truly in the age of spreading wealth. For reference this is not socialism. It’s a form of diversification.

Verdict: Very covid related / Will last. You would have seen some of the richest people in the world, come out in favour of higher taxes, like Warren Buffett. You will also have heard many billionaires making the 99% pledge. 

The winning combination: Look at Netflix. Higher than industry pay, generous leave policies and a lot of creative freedom. Seems like it’s working well. This not an argument to reduce executive compensation, rather it is a call to increase the overall pie so that everyone is well compensated for their efforts.

7.   Art or the artist? You quite simply cannot celebrate one without the other. Woody Allen was a mainstay of traditional Hollywood. He was also accused of inappropriate conduct with his 7 year old daughter Dylan. In 2019 – Amazon terminated its 5 picture contract with him. In 2020 – Hachette refused to publish his memoirs. Society demands a level of decency of everyone, Woody Allen did not meet that bar in the US.

Verdict: Covid accelerated this / Will last. When a Governor of a US state is accused of securing special access to covid testing for his family, I don't know what to make of it. Those in power should probably play by a more stringent set of rules, not more relaxed ones. 

The winning combination: Don’t just be ethical, be kind, be good, be generous - people and organizations. As leaders it is our job and responsibility to show the way, to lead by example. And the example must be of teamwork, of respect, of recognition, of decency.

The Dark Knight urproar forced the Oscars to increase Best Picture to 10 nominees. Titanic was reminicient of a time gone by (the big sweep), and Bigelow made history as the first women to win Best Director

My job, dear reader is not to comment on the covid situation in any country or the world at large. At least not in this article. Not right now.

If you take away just one thing, let it be this – covid has accelerated changes which were on the cusp of public imagination for some time now. We are steadily moving to a more fair, just and equitable world. Covid like any crisis, accelerates movements towards societal good. And we don’t need a crisis to realize that our bottom-line, our own profits, whether personal or organizational depend on societal profits and welfare. Let’s work towards that.

About the author:

Arshish leads the Occupier Consulting Group for JLL India. In this capacity, he helps large multinational clients manage their real estate portfolios to organize for the future of work and balance engagement with productivity. His interests outside work are sports such as cricket and F1, movies and TV, travel and law. He hopes to write more articles like this one in the future.