Woody Allen won four Academy Awards. Two in 1978 (Best Director and Best Screen play for Annie Hall), Best Screenplay in 1986 (Hannah and her Sisters) and also in 2011 for Midnight in Paris.
You know what he said in his acceptance speeches?
Nothing. He didn’t attend. He went off to play clarinet with his music group instead.
“The whole concept of awards is silly. I cannot abide by the judgement of other people, because if you accept it when they say you deserve an award, then you have to accept it when they say you don’t”
– Woody Allen
I’m reminded of the Groucho Marx quote on the occasion of his resigning from the Friars’ Club,
I would not want to belong to a club that will accept me for a member.
Awards seem to fit into this category for many people. They wouldn’t accept any award for which they qualified.
I won an award once. From the Mayor. It had an expensive frame.
– Malcom Crowe “The Sixth Sense”
M. Night Shyamalan, the writer and director of The Sixth Sense used the award as a metaphor for the character’s failure to help his patient. In other words, the award was evidence of his mistake, not his success.
My former company gave out an award. It was called the Blue Diamond award. It was extremely difficult to qualify for. And if you were in IT, you actually had to be chosen for it. I got the award a couple years ago. I told my manager about it.
Steve told me that I’ve been awarded the Blue Diamond award.
Well, what do you think?
I told him I think they’ve made a terrible mistake.
Did I deserve it? I still have no idea. They thought I did. I got a nice certificate. A dinner. A bluetooth speaker and the right to put Blue Diamond in my email signature.
I’d like to say it didn’t mean that much to me. But, as I type this I still have it on my wall.
I didn’t really want to be too much like Woody Allen anyway.
How about you? Do awards motivate you?
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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