Me at the Oscars: Fabulous or Fizzle, 65 years and counting

Note: I wrote this piece on Oscar Night, February 25, 2013 and almost forgot about it until about an hour ago, when I suddenly remembered I wrote a piece five years ago about the Academy Awards! I could use it here! So here it is, unchanged in five years. My take on my long, long unrequited love affair with the Oscars.

(I admit I haven’t seen a single Best Picture nominee this year, except for Spider Man, though I wanted to see “A Star is Born”, “The Wife”, “Beale Street”, “Roma”, and “Green Book”. I have no excuse. None that you would believe, anyway.)

But here’s the kicker: I haven’t missed a SINGLE Oscar broadcast in 65 years. I believe with all my heart I’ve broken a record, and until someone challenges me, I’m going to go on bragging about my loyalty to Oscar Night. There have been years when it was a struggle getting through it, and sometimes I caved before Best Picture when I didn’t care what won, but my longevity is a Personal Best for me. I’m proud to be maybe the only one in the world who has watched ever single Oscar broadcast since they were first televised in 1953.

So here we go:

When the first televised Academy Awards ceremony took place on March 19, 1953, I, a bedazzled 15-year-old movie fan, sat riveted in front of our black and white TV set, no doubt…