In this article, I examine Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s depiction of the Academy Awards in their revisionist history series Hollywood (2020). On the surface, the Oscars cement actor Jack Castello’s (David Corenswet) and his fellow creatives’ success in the industry with their film Meg , itself a counterfactual retelling of Peg Entwistle’s tragic story: the real-life actor had taken her own life when she jumped off the Hollywood sign. Closer inspection, however, reveals the extent to which Murphy and Brennan present the Oscars not as an end, but as a means to an end. The award’s value is largely symbolic. Still, the recognition of peoples of diverse races and genders stands to make the road easier for those who follow. Murphy and Brennan’s portrayal of the Oscars encourages us to revisit the awards for what they can tell us about cinema.
Tom Ue (Mon,) studied this question.