I haven't blogged in a long time! So here's one!
The recent Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Barack Obama and the subsequent voices, for and against this prompted me to post this blog!
We may have seen many awards given out to people, organizations, movies etc. We may have our own opinion of the awards. Ask around for their opinion of any award and you will get varied responses.
Some of these awards directly affect us, like an award for best performer at our work place and it raises questions in our minds. What has he done to receive this award? Why didn’t I get this award? Is the supervisor partial? And so on. It even sets off a water cooler gossip.
There could be some awards that have group opinions, like a movie award or a best restaurant award. We begin to discuss these awards in groups with varied opinions like – the actor doesn’t deserve the award. He has done a shoddy job. Someone else deserved it more! Oh, it is all rigged!!
There are still others that create a national or international debate – like the Nobel to Obama.
Twitter polls suggested that 69% of Americans felt that he didn’t deserve it yet!
There are posts on the web that denounce the awards, some that ridicule the process and lots of them that are funny. It may have given rise to talk show debates and jibes from some stand up comedians.
One of the posts that read went like this “I have worked relentlessly for the last 15 years to manage my mom, my wife and daughter and keep them from tearing each others' hair. I was successful yesterday. There was peace at home! Will I get the Nobel and a million bucks?”
Another one said that “Obama, in his acceptance speech should thank President Bush for the award, because he wouldn’t have got the award if Bush hadn’t screwed up and proven to the world that America is ready to go to war if the Iraqis sneeze ”
Media companies are quick to cash in. They will say “Do you think X deserves to get this award. Please sms your answers to 53238”.
But, I feel that awards are recognition of an achievement (?) by a group of people, which is not always correct. The people who confer these awards may be biased or do not have the opportunity to make a holistic decision. The awards do not always reflect the mass sentiments of the common man! So the next time awards are conferred, take it with a pinch of salt. They certainly are not your feelings or your awards. If they personally affect you, indulge in some water cooler gossip or some award bashing! Then move on ………..
Post your comments on awards that you would like to give and who deserves them.
There is a jury that decides on who gets the award.. n most of the times the jury themselves are influenced by power and are biased. So as you said the jury's not always rite.... these awards come n go.... I think everyone makes an effort and put in their share of making peace.. though its not done on a huge scale that's worthy of a nobel prize!!! Ironically whether we like it or not these nobel winners tend influence many lives someway or the other....
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