(March 1, 2006) — Oscar month is always deadly. It’s the time of year when the pretty people of Hollywood get to tell the rest of America’s movie-crazed masses how to dress, act and spend their money. So much media attention is put into the Armani, Versace, Chanel and Valentino, that the true celebration of filmmaking genius is eroded and replaced by the ersatz entertainment of a fashion show. Quite frankly, it’s getting depressing—especially if, like the rest of us, you live in the more realistic side of America, where the only way you can get your glory is by engaging the police in a 15-minute car chase (another pathetic American tradition that shouldn’t be featured on TV). But seriously, days after this “Almighty Academy,” whose names are on everybody’s lips? That geeky screenwriter whose creative mind gave birth to the “Best Picture” of the year—or that leading lady whose body-fitting gown and sultry lips made drooling a natural reaction for the male half of the viewers? If the goal of the Academy is really to promote filmmaking excellence, why do celebrities end up filling three-fourths of Oscar coverage with trivial gossip and signature wardrobes? The answer is quite apparent. These actors are famous—and in this society, fame is a big deal. Everyone wants to be famous. There’s something undeniably alluring and romantic about the whole prospect of seeing your face transformed through Photoshop and 20 pounds of make-up so that people won’t cringe when they see it stretched on the side of buses or in billboards all over the country. The idea of fame is so revered by American thinking that we subconsciously give famous people the license to shape our morality—a really bad idea even if this country had a moral code to start with. The problem is, it is this same notion of “popularity” that is so destructive to those who fall for its deceptive tricks. How many of these movie stars are really happy with their lives behind-the-scenes? How many celebrities have stuck to only one marriage? How many don’t rely on some kind of drug to keep them going through the motions of life? Only people who still believe in Disney should fall for the all-smiles hoax that they try to stimulate on the red carpet. As odd as it may sound, a healthy “dose” of anonymity is essential to anyone’s sanity. It gives us perspective and keeps our feet planted on the ground. The ephemerality of fame will eventually unfold its nature, and the glamour of Hollywood living will lose its first burst of charm once the parasitic paparazzi steps in. So the next time you curse your current predicament as the most ordinary and unappreciated high school student, take comfort in knowing that, as unbelievable as it may seem, the grass isn’t always greener in the other man’s yard.