All of them. Seriously, why do entertainment award shows such as the Grammys and the Academy Awards still garner so much attention when they’re essentially just an industry-wide pat on the back? These awards are given out by a panel of peers, meaning others in the industry. While it could be said that those working in the industry have a better grasp of quality, it also means that public opinion is not a factor in the awards. While it makes perfect sense for the film and music industries to hand out in-house awards, the ceremonies are immensely popular and the awards hold sway over public opinion.

This begs the question: why?

Those who win an Oscar or a Grammy gain an immediate career boost. The public holds an Academy Award-winning actor in much higher regard, and the sales of a Grammy-winning album are sure to skyrocket. Consider the Dixie Chicks, whose album “Taking the Long Way” won five Grammys this year, including album of the year. The album’s sales rank on Amazon.com shot from 32nd to second almost overnight. These awards are essentially the opinions of the entertainment elite, yet people value their opinions and let them dictate their purchases.

That’s not to mention the fact that movie studios and record labels have latched onto the sales boosts these awards provide. Although the members of the Academy Awards voting panel aren’t available to the public, it’s a safe bet that a number of them are high-ranking studio executives and actors … those who would stand to gain from their movie winning an award. Not that there’s any proof these award shows are simply a ploy to boost public interest in the “best” movies of the year, but maybe there’s a reason the Academy members are anonymous.

That’s just the awards themselves. The massive shows surrounding the awards are just as mystifying as the public reaction to them. Tuning into this year’s Grammys, you might think you were watching a three-hour concert with a speech here and there between the musical acts. The Oscars are at least timelier about handing out the awards, but the massive celebrity hoopla surrounding them is even more grating than the monotony of endless pop music acts. Neither show is based around the awards, which is strange considering they’re supposed to be the whole point. Evidently the format works, as evidenced by the number of viewers, but as for why people find it entertaining? It is a mystery.

This year’s Academy Awards

brought in 39.9 million viewers – second only to the Super Bowl in popularity, according to Variety.com. Is it the never-ending hunger for celebrities that draws so many viewers? The hopes that the “experts” will validate their opinion? The Academy’s choices for best movie are sometimes dubious (consider that “Citizen Kane,” an American classic, received only an Oscar for best screenplay) and often don’t match up with public opinion (heavily favored “Brokeback Mountain” lost to “Crash” last year, for example). In the case of the Grammys, music is so dependent on personal taste that declaring an album or a single to be the “best of the year” is laughable. I mean, who really thought Steely Dan should have won in 2001?

Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with the winners of the “X of the year” awards. If I said that my choice for best movie of 2005 was “Sin City,” I’m sure many would disagree. That’s fine. My opinion doesn’t carry any authority, because I’m not an “expert.” What I’m trying to say is, don’t be fooled by all the glitz and glamour – when it comes down to it, just because the Academy Awards or the Grammys or any other show declare something to be the best doesn’t mean it is. In the end, it’s just another opinion, and often a sketchy one.