Cate Blanchett wants award shows off the air

Actress Cate Blanchett does not like how award shows invade her privacy. She recently raised concerns about how little privacy there is, which is true. Today, awards shows really are shows that an audience watches from home, where actors have to act on their best behavior.

While speaking to Las Culturistas, found by Variety, Blanchett discussed how celebrities today are under scrutiny from the media. She compared the current situation to her experiences attending Mardi Gras in Sydney in the late 1980s, a time when interactions felt more genuine, and media attention was less invasive.

Blanchett said, “There’s so few spaces that you can go now, where you are private. That’s what I loved about the late ’80s, going to all of the dance parties in Sydney for Mardi Gras. People were just there. They were so present, you know, they were just together, collectively, having a great time. It was non-aggressive. No one was being recorded. No one cared what anyone did.”

Blanchett was particularly troubled by the trend of fans trying to lip-read conversations between celebrities on the red carpet. She said, “That’s really, what? I mean, do something. Learn Ikebana or something, like a skill that’s actually beautiful… I mean, I say, I know it’s blasphemy, go back to the day when it wasn’t televised. Bring that back and just have a great party where people can just let go.”

One of her main proposals was to stop airing award shows on television. Though she knows this seems like a radical idea, she believes it could create a more relaxed and authentic atmosphere for those attending. While she understands that the red carpet is a significant fashion event, she thinks the actual award ceremony should be a private gathering, allowing for a more genuine celebration free from constant analysis and attention.

She even spoke about the constant attention on what everyone is wearing. “I mean, the fashion is great, and all of that stuff. We’ll find out in the end who won or who didn’t win. But it would be so nice that that happened behind closed doors. Absolutely a very different evening.”

Blanchett’s concerns extend beyond award shows to the general lack of private spaces today. She pointed out that there are cameras and devices ready to record everywhere you go, leading to a feeling of being constantly watched and blurring the lines between public and private life. Even being a non-public person comes with the fear that people might film your most embarrassing moments for clout.

Blanchett’s call to eliminate televised awards speaks to how much we see the actors and actresses now than in decades prior. Kevin Smith once said on Smodcast that awards shows used to be the one time you could see the actors outside of their roles. It was a major event, so that’s likely why televising these events became so popular.

Unfortunately, today, it seems like everything an actor or actress does can end up on social media, regardless of their consent. Many public figures have had their personal lives intruded upon, and Blanchett may be the first in a call to stop pulling back the curtain on their lives.