Last night I was watching the Golden Globe Awards with the Mrs., my mind strolled off to think about other award ceremonies. Soon we’ll have the Oscars. There’re also the Emmies, the Grammies, the Tonies, etc, etc, etc. And all of these get televised. Millions of people huddle in front of their TVs to see which actors or singers will be praised by their own communities. And then I thought about all of the award ceremonies that DON’T get televised, the ones we never see but only hear about after the fact. When was the last time the Pulitzer Prize ceremony was televised? Never, to my knowledge. How about the Caldecotts or the Newburys? Can’t ever recall seeing one of those. And how about the most prestigious awards ceremony in the world – the Nobel Prize? There is no more coveted award on earth, and it’s open to everyone on earth, not just a handful of Hollywood royalty. But we never see the winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, or Science, or Peace walking the red carpet between throngs of screaming fans and popping flash bulbs; we don’t sit riveted to our screens – making bets with each other - wondering who will win the awards; we never hear the stirring speeches – not just a few rushed thank yous but real speeches – made by the greatest minds of our day. Maybe real intelligence and real talent just aren’t flashy enough to put on TV. Maybe scientists and authors and mathematicians and statesmen just aren’t pretty enough. But maybe we all might be a little better if we saw these people winning awards for their work instead of the self-centered actors and musicians in Hollywood.
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