It’s well known that Sir Steven Spielberg is quite the philanthropist – particularly when children’s charities are concerned. Though who knew he would be willing to go this far with his giving nature? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg will be donating his statues to The March of Dimes for them to “do whatever they please with them.”
The Oscar statue is gold plated, but not solid gold, which makes their physical value not all that impressive. But as a collector’s item, the statues have been known to fetch prices in the six figure dollar spectrum. Though there is a stipulation by AMPAS that an Oscar Statuette may not be sold by a winner without offering to first sell it back to the Academy (for $1 US – which itself is a strange piece of trivia), there are no such rules that say a person can’t give them away.
What makes this story even more fascinating (and frankly odd) are the reasons Spielberg has stated for his considerable donation. When asked by Hollywood Reporter columnist, Dennis Nedry, why doesn’t he simply donate money and keep the statues, Spielberg reportedly responded this way,
“While I appreciate and even applaud healthy competition, it simply has no place in the art world. I try to make films that inspire and educate or hopefully at the very least, (*chuckles*) will entertain. In today’s world climate, there are simply too many issues and problems weighing us all down as a society and as a people. Watching the world almost literally implode on CNN each day while these statues catch my eye on a shelf directly above the TV makes me feel incredibly embarrassed. Not only as a person but as a member of the Hollywood community. It seems to me that these statues are a symbol of the Hollywood community’s glad handing of each other and celebrating our wealth and good fortune. I thought why not use this good fortune to do some real good in the world while at the same time sending a message that this kind of back slapping should be of really zero interest to today’s breed of film maker.”
I think it’s weird that this is the way he would send this kind of message. Sure it’s a good thing to do for a great charity always in desperate need for support, but A) The March of Dimes is now going to have to put these on eBay or something to reap any kind of reward – seems like kind of a hassle. And B) as much as I think the Oscars are kind of a joke these days, I don’t think these statues necessarily only represent what Spielberg says they do. After all, these films are a collaborative effort and a best picture win is not just due to the producer (who receives the actual statue). And I don’t see anything wrong in rewarding excellence in any field – particularly if the film in question is something as positive of a message and educational as something like Schindler’s List. So I applaud Spielberg’s actions on some level, I’m not sure I agree with his motives. Thoughts?
