It's that time of year again when people begin to compile lists from the past year into the best of/worst of comparisons, and also the celebrity death lists. I've never been a fan of the best/worst lists, but I understand why people have a need to list their likes and dislikes. I'm always at a loss for words when someone asks me what my favorite movie or book is, because I have so many I like, and some for very different reasons. It's agonizing for me to list things in order of favorites, and mostly I never do. I read other people's lists and usually shrug my shoulders because they hardly ever agree with what my likes and dislikes are.
AFI came out with a 100 best movie lines this year, and I keep thinking about who makes these decisions, what about films of the future, why were most of the lines from recent (within 20 years) movies, and how do you make an objective decision about which lines get included and which don't? If I didn't care for a particular movie, chances are I'm not going to pick a line from it that I consider one of the "best ever" lines of cinema history. The same goes for AFI picking the best movies. Shouldn't the title be: AFI's Best Movies (So Far...).
The other thing that bugs me, is the celebrity death lists that come out. I find it incredibly depressing, and although I understand there is a fascination with it, I personally find it distasteful and tacky. When the "memorial" is presented at the Academy Awards, or the Oscars, I know why the presentation is done, but unless the audience is prepared to attend a funeral, it seems schlocky and half-hearted. Kind of like "hey, we know you're having a good time celebrating, but let's bring this down a notch and watch pictures of all your friends who are now dead." When the camera pans to the theater, most people are talking, not paying attention, on cell phones, or just plain gone from their seats. I'm also guessing that the majority of the viewing audience at home is in the kitchen for a snack, gone to the bathroom, channel-surfing, or talking on the phone.
The published death lists seem just as bad to me. A member of my family handed me a newspaper that had a death list in it, and I tried to explain why I didn't really want to read it. She took it back, but I felt like for some reason I offended her. Almost like I was disrespecting the dead, which I don't feel I was. She's never spoken of it again, and this year didn't try to give me the paper, so I'm guessing I probably did offend her and she's covering it. I guess I feel that when I first read of a person's death, and then the obituary, that is enough for me. I now know they have passed on, and I don't need to be reminded of it in some year-end list where the public just kind of reads through it and blazes through to the next section of the paper. It seems rude somehow, an "aw, that's a shame" and move on moment.
Don't misunderstand me and think that once a celebrity is dead and buried I forget about them. Quite the contrary. Every time I see an actor who has passed away, it registers in my head they are no longer with us. I think of Jim Henson every time I see a Muppet. Movies that were directed by master filmmakers and I wonder if we'll ever see talent like that again. Writers who will never write a favorite book for me and musicians who will never sing again; it all registers with me at the time of their death. I don't need some popularity list at the end of the year reminding me in some trite way the level of their popularity based on how big of a page spread they get. Or corner blurb.
So, as 2009 draws to a close, I will not watch all the shows that every network puts out addressing "the year that was" and other condensed bits of trivia that get fed to the public in these last few days. It is still a free country (for the time being anyway...) so those of you who love the death lists and best ever lists, have at it. Just don't complain to me when your favorite movie doesn't make it on someone else's idea of the best...movie...everrrrrr!
Happy New Year!
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