Chapter 130
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Weight of a Vote
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Josh Macton was a film actor. He had worked steadily in the United States, with his most recent film released just last year.
In short, he was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which meant he had a vote in the upcoming Academy Awards.
It was an annual routine, so he simply thought, ‘I’ll just vote for the works and actors I like again this year.’
Ever since gaining voting rights, Josh Macton had always chosen a white actor, and he had planned to do the same this year. But things started to take a strange turn.
The Academy Awards was an American awards ceremony. It wasn't intended for a global audience. Over 70% of the voters were white. Because of this, the controversy of racial discrimination, dubbed ‘Oscars So White,’ was a persistent issue.
Still, it was an annual occurrence, so Josh figured this year would be no different from the last. That is, if it hadn't been for that ad.
Watching the news while having breakfast with his family, Josh’s jaw dropped.
An advertisement that had focused the entire world’s attention on the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
It was everywhere—not just Times Square in New York, but shopping malls in every state across the US. Famous landmarks in other countries.
The sheer scale of Whale Studios' advertising campaign was staggering, leaving one to wonder just how much money they had thrown at it.
‘This is an Oscar campaign?’
It was on a completely different level.
And it didn't end with the ads.
[Actor Seojun Lee Begins Oscar Campaign!]
[Over the Rainbow Kicks Off Oscar Race!]
[Seojun Lee's Oscar Campaign Draws Global Attention!]
[Will He Be the Youngest and First Asian Winner?]
News of Whale Studios’ bid for an Oscar spread across the globe.
In response, people who were interested in the Oscars, and even those who weren't, began to pay attention to the Academy Awards. It went without saying that most of them had seen Seojun Lee's movie.
[Gray Vainie's Journey Towards a Dream! How Will It End!?]
[Will Gray Vainie, Will Seojun Lee, Have a Happy Ending?]
-I hope Gray gets it!!
-Whether it’s Seojun Lee or Gray, I’ll be so happy if it ends with an award!
-I don't usually watch award shows, but I love Gray so much that I have to watch this time.
=Me too lol
The audience-participation film was now extending all the way to the awards ceremony.
"Josh! Did you vote yet?"
A neighbor he ran into on his way out for a walk asked. Josh replied with an awkward smile.
"Not yet. It's not voting day."
"Oh, really? I'm planning to watch the Oscars this year, too. The movie was so good. I'm really curious who will win!"
His neighbor said before heading back inside. Josh rubbed his face dryly. A few weeks ago, during a barbecue with the neighbors, he had mentioned over drinks that he would be voting again this year, so everyone knew.
This was already the fifth time something like this had happened.
No one asked who or what film he was voting for, but he could feel their subtle gazes. It wasn't just in his daily life; it was the same on social media. He wasn't the only one; everyone with voting rights was receiving this kind of attention.
It was an unprecedented level of global interest in the history of the Academy Awards.
Drained, Josh opened his front door.
"Daddy!"
He never imagined that interest would extend to his family.
His six-year-old twin daughter and son clung to his legs. They held on tight, their eyes sparkling as they asked.
"You get to pick the bestest actor, right?"
"Yes."
Right. That’s what he had told them.
"But is the Blue Dragon a nominee too?"
Hmm. Josh swallowed his words. The children's eyes glittered. Ever since the children's play ‘Spring’ was released on Plus+, the Blue Dragon had become the favorite character for kids their age.
"Daddy, Daddy. The Blue Dragon is the bestest, right?"
"The Blue Dragon is getting the award, right?"
His daughter and son clung to him, chattering away. Josh answered honestly.
"This award isn't for the Blue Dragon, it's for Gray Vainie."
So he might not get it… he tried to add, but failed. At the mention of Gray Vainie, the children's eyes sparkled even more.
Come to think of it, he hadn't noticed because he was so used to it, but the music playing on the home audio system for months had been entirely from ‘Over the Rainbow.’
"I love Over the Rainbow too!"
"I want to learn the violin!"
It seemed this argument wasn't going to end easily.
Josh’s situation was no different from that of other voters. The methods varied, but everyone was showing interest in the actors and works they would be voting for.
The worldwide flood of attention was bound to be a burden not only for the voters but for the Academy itself.
"Marine Company…!"
The start of all this was surely the advertisements and articles that had spread across the globe.
And a short while later, something happened that would focus the world's attention squarely on the Academy Awards.
[Golden Globes Awards Best Actor to Seojun Lee!]
[Golden Globes' Youngest Best Actor Winner: 12-Year-Old Seojun Lee!]
[The Second Asian Winner! Seojun Lee!]
Seojun Lee had actually won at the Golden Globe Awards. The world's attention, which had been split in two directions, now converged on a single point. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences let out a heavy sigh.
***
Looking at the articles online, Richard Bowin smiled with satisfaction.
Racial discrimination at the Academy Awards had always existed. Despite the controversy, it would get buried, and though people claimed things were changing, not much was different. Still, it was changing.
"But too slowly."
So they had decided to speed things up a bit. Richard Bowin chuckled, "Huhu."
"That's a villainous laugh, Vice President."
"Ahem."
But Dr. Phelan also ended up chuckling. Not just the two of them, but probably all the employees at Marine Company and Whale Studios were snickering to themselves.
Mission accomplished!
Reading through the day's articles with a proud expression, Dr. Phelan spoke up.
"It cost a lot of money, but I think it turned out better than expected."
The reason Whale Studios—no, Marine Company—had expanded its Oscar campaign worldwide, when domestic ads would have been sufficient.
They had told Seojun Lee and King's Agency it was for the overseas awards, but that wasn't the whole story.
Richard Bowin clicked his tongue.
"The scales have only just been balanced."
The reason Marine Company had run a global ad campaign, something they normally wouldn't do, was to draw the attention of people around the world interested in the film or Seojun Lee toward the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
They hoped that the attention of many would deter, even slightly, the racial bias of the voters.
"Still, I didn't expect him to win it all at once."
[Seojun Lee, Who Debuted in Shadowman, Wins Golden Globe for Best Actor!]
A photo showed Seojun smiling brightly, holding the trophy.
Shadowman, Marine Company, Whale Studios. Richard Bowin smiled with satisfaction at the words appearing in almost every article. The stock price wouldn't be dropping anytime soon!
"I know, right? The Golden Globes were more likely than the Oscars, but I didn't think he'd win on his first try. I thought maybe he'd get it for his next project, but it seems Jun's performance left a deep impression on the judges."
Dr. Phelan smiled, recalling Seojun's acting.
"Well, there are some who say he only won because of the ads, but that's nonsense."
"If you could win an award with this kind of advertising, they would've done it long ago."
America had plenty of wealthy production and distribution companies. If they could secure an award by paying for that level of advertising, billboards worldwide would be plastered with movie posters year-round.
"Still, the Oscars will be a long shot, right?"
"Probably."
Richard Bowin nodded at Dr. Phelan's words.
Unlike the Golden Globes, where the nationalities and races of winners were becoming more diverse, the Academy Awards was a place where racial discrimination stubbornly persisted despite the annual controversy.
Even with their massive ad campaign, Marine Company believed Seojun’s chances of winning an Oscar were almost nil.
Nevertheless, the reason they had advertised to capture the world's attention was not for ‘this time,’ but for the ‘next time.’ Richard Bowin flashed a villainous smile.
"Now that Jun has won a Golden Globe, the pressure will be even greater. The chances of him winning an Oscar are slim, so it's enough to just plant the spark for now. Jun will deliver a fantastic performance again someday. If he still doesn't win then, this spark will grow into a massive fire."
A master of acting, with an on/off switch so clear that even the general public could see it.
If an actor as brilliant as Seojun Lee was repeatedly denied an award, people would start to question the awards ceremony itself. Then, the Academy's prestige would surely decline, slowly or perhaps rapidly.
"Well, if they have any sense, they'll give it to him before that happens."
"And I've prepared the scripts you mentioned. Shall I send them to Jun right away?"
On Richard Bowin's orders, scripts that had been sitting in Marine Company's archives were brought out for the first time in a long while.
From synopses decades old to freshly arrived screenplays. They selected the most promising ones and had them all neatly packaged.
"Yes. The most important thing is that ‘Seojun Lee’s next project’ is one of our company's films. It would be a disaster if, after all this preparation, he won an award for another company's work."
Dr. Phelan, nodding at the meticulously calculating Richard Bowin's words, suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
"By the way, Vice President. I heard you rented a commemorative ticket printer…"
"Ahem."
Having completely forgotten the time he opposed casting Seojun as Jin Natra, Richard Bowin, who had slyly collected ‘Gray Vainie’s World Tour Tickets,’ cleared his throat loudly.
***
"Oh! This year's Golden Globe winner for Best Actor!"
"Congratulations on the award!"
"I knew Jun would get it!"
The party wasn't scheduled to start for a while, but friends and acquaintances were already buzzing with excitement.
Catherine and Paul were amazed to see the Shadowman team and Green Wing. Professor Benjamin Morton and Jason were there, along with the Smith family and other LA acquaintances.
-Ahhh! Shadowman, Bel Natra, and Green Wing!
-Thank you, Cocoa Entertainment! A N-tube live stream like this is insane!!
-Never imagined this combination!
An Daho, who was broadcasting the live stream on channel [JUN] with his phone, changed the angle. Redbone, Davis Garrett, who had just entered the garden, came into view.
Having been told there would be a short live broadcast before the party, Davis Garrett waved naturally.
-Ack! There's Davis Garrett!
-So… happy… (dying message)
-Shadowman x Assemble x Over the Rainbow!
-(Breaking) Genius violinist Gray Vainie revealed to be a superhuman!
-Is he a buffer class? Or maybe he controls emotions with his music!
-Redbone will buy him one of the world's top three violins!
-He might even build a concert hall just for Gray!
Finally, Seojun stood in front of the phone. As he appeared on screen, comments flooded in faster than ever before.
-There are so many comments I can't read a single one! Mine will probably get buried, but Seojun, congratulations on the award!
-Seojun, congratulations!
-2222 Congrats on the award!!!
"Hello, this is Lee Seojun. I'm so happy to be able to share this good news with everyone. I won the Golden Globe for Best Actor! I really didn't think I'd get it, so I was completely shocked! This is the Golden Globe trophy! My name is engraved on it right here."
Seojun held the trophy in his hand closer to the camera. The trophy, engraved with his name, gleamed.
-I didn't notice during the live broadcast, but watching the replay, you can see Seojun's surprised face lol
=When's the replay? I missed it because of workㅠ
=2222 I want to see it on a big, clear TV screen, not my tiny phone.
=Right now, MBS is just replaying the awards scene over and over. Looks like they're not airing anything else today. But I could watch it forever and not get tired of it haha.
-Yeah, he was genuinely surprised lol. That was cute tooㅋ
-Ah. We were in the middle of making a trophy… too bad…….
Seojun smiled and continued.
"A lot of people came here to congratulate me. They're all such wonderful people, and I wanted to introduce them to you, so we decided to do this broadcast. Thank you all for your concern. I'm doing well. There are definitely bad people out there, but I believe there are more good people. So please don't worry. I'll see you in Korea!"
On screen, Seojun waved with a bright smile.
-Seojun is so kindㅠ
-Well, he got the Golden Globe, that's what matters.
-Can't he just skip the Oscars and come back to Korea?
=For the music awards, ‘Over the Rainbow’ is almost guaranteed to win at least one. So he'll probably stay until then.
-Then we can just give him our trophy instead of an Oscar!
=lol I heard you guys were designing it from scratch, how far along are you?
=Just need to engrave the name!
=…That was fast.
***
A few days after the tumultuous Golden Globe Awards, the day for the first round of voting for the Academy Awards—the nominations—arrived.
It was an annual vote, but this year was different. Unlike last year, when he had voted for a white actor without a second thought, this year Josh Macton was wringing his hands.
He had to choose five nominees, but who should he pick? If he voted like he used to, the controversy would inevitably be greater than ever, given the global spotlight.
Moreover, the nominations were decided by a named ballot. His name would be attached to it.
‘There are so many crazy people in the world…’
With so many people watching, someone, somewhere, crying out for justice, might try to find out who the voters were.
Imagining all sorts of future troubles, Josh sighed inwardly. The future was one thing, but the most significant pressure was right now.
"Shh. Daddy's working."
"Shh!"
"Shush!"
He could feel the gazes of his daughter and son, who were pressed against the door, their eyes shining brightly at him.
‘You’re picking the bestest actor, right?’ The children's voices echoed in his mind. Josh sighed inwardly once more and, after much deliberation, cast his vote for five actors.
Just as Marine Company had intended, the gazes and interest of countless people made the voters hesitate just a little, think a little more, and take a moment to reflect.
And so, thousands of voters, after much contemplation, completed the first round of voting.
Late January. The Academy Awards, America's biggest awards ceremony, announced its nominees.
Once again, Korea was thrown into an uproar.
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