The official line is the same. Now, Oscar has followed the celebrity lead and become a working royal himself. Three years ago, the Academy began anointing official Oscar-night charity events. What began as two are now 31 parties from coast to coast, harnessing the power of the official Oscar logo and program materials to fund causes from AIDS to children. The Oscars have become an antique ritual, says University of Southern California professor Leo Braudy.
Charities help atone for the over-institutionalization of the event.
New York University professor Mark Crispin Miller agrees. Today's stars make astronomical amounts of money in a time of vast media conglomerates. They all need a way to atone for their success. These celebrities need opportunities to show they're well-meaning and committed. The media-studies professor adds that Hollywood used to tackle the hard topics in popular films.