The Academy Awards air this weekend, and I know I'll find myself sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn, glass of wine, and paying particular attention to red carpet attire.
It's Oscar season, and there's no denying the appeal of our favorite celebrities all dressed up and reciting tearful acceptance speeches. But along with all the celebration, there is also laser-like focus on celebrity relationships, and whether or not they will survive the season. For example, four of the past six winners of the best actress award have split from their partners shortly after winning. The blogs and magazines discussed their demise for weeks, speculating whether success had triggered it, or if there was some kind of Oscar curse.
We are left to wonder: does this mean that success and love aren't compatible?
I'm not particularly superstitious, so I don't give a lot of credence to the idea of a curse. And I don't think success and love are incompatible. After all, there are plenty of successful women (including actresses) who remain in happy relationships. Demanding careers and love can co-exist. So why the focus on the relationships gone wrong?
I guess we are hard-wired to look for problems. We want to explain why relationships end, but usually the demise has been a long time coming, and for many reasons other than a partner's success.
Celebrities are placed under a microscope for all of us to examine, because they are public figures, and their relationship problems give us insight into our own. We like to see them fall, bounce back, and get up again stronger than ever. We like this because we want this for ourselves when we fail, when our relationships go awry.
So when you watch the Oscars this Sunday, remember that while there might be another celebrity relationship casualty, there are many more couples who have stayed together, who have overcome their differences and problems. We just don't hear about them. Break-ups and drama are just more interesting.
But I'm still excited to see the winners when they walk the red carpet.
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