Jackie Chan gets his due, even if it’s Oscar-lite

Pretty much every time an awards show is on the horizon, I unconsciously clench up at the thought that, inevitably, deserving candidates will end up snubbed, whether due to the politics of the selection process or some other inanity.

Even though I largely dismiss awards shows for exactly that reason, there are many who put stock in the decisions of supposed taste makers like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars), the Recording Academy (the Grammys) and grade-school children (the Kids’ Choice Awards).

My disdain for these supposed honors stems from two fundamental complaints.

First, they generally reflect the opinion of a small group of people whose tastes often are out-of-sync with popular opinion (unless they select MY favored nominee, of course).

Second, once a winner is named, the implication seems to be that the other contenders were unworthy, despite being of high enough quality to be nominated in the first place. Unfortunately, to quote golf legend Walter Hagen and, less laudably, Donald Trump: “No one remembers who came in second.”

The history of pop culture is packed with unbelievable snubs, from almost every class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees to Kate Winslet’s run of six Oscar nominations for Best Actress before clinching the award. Consider this: Led Zeppelin, Queen and The Who never won a Grammy. That’s basically unforgivable.

Despite my displeasure with these events, it was a pleasant surprise last week to read that the AMPAS would be doling out “Honorary Awards” in recognition of “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

Among the selectees was Jackie Chan, who has never received a single Oscar nomination, let alone an award, despite a 50-year career that has made him one of the most recognizable names in martial arts and mainstream cinema.

Chan will receive his statue during the Academy’s untelevised Governors Awards in November rather than the usual star-studded ceremony in February, but it’s nice to see him honored, nonetheless.

The award is especially impressive considering some people remain convinced Chan died in a 2013 plane crash, a rumor perpetuated by an Internet hoax that got so out of hand that, in order to dispel it, he had to post a picture of himself on Facebook holding a recent newspaper like a ransom victim.

Then again, if coming back from the dead doesn’t warrant a bit of recognition, I’m not sure what does.