DiCaprio has done it, he's won the Oscar! The internet has obtained a bitter-sweet victory; sweet because all the Leo fans have had their cries heard, but bitter because it means the death of the meme.
No more can we laugh at Leo's made up desperation to win an Oscar.
No more can do we have to make up excuses as to why he just didn't win last year!
No more can...
You know what? It doesn't matter anymore. He won, enjoy the victory and congratulations Mr. DiCaprio. Trust me when I say we won't chalk this up to something seemingly controversial but, completely trivial. I can only speak for myself in this case because there is this, an article from rogerebert.com claiming Leo winning would be bad for acting. The author claims that academy award worthy performances are more about what the actor went through, rather than the performance that actor delivered.
Some people, including this author, would have you believe that film awards have taken a dark turn away from true acting and instead down an avenue of suffering and body shaming. Awards are given to men and women for "more acting," as opposed to "good acting." Leo's win embodies that attitude and that ideal. His suffering through the filming of The Revenant is the reason why the Academy picked him to win the Oscar for best performance by a male in a leading role.
This notion is pathetic to say the least. Many people who feel this way also think DiCaprio is this rabid beast of a man, foaming at the mouth for his chance to win the coveted Oscar, put it in his mouth and thrash it around on the forest floor like a wild bear! Too soon? Anyway, Leonardo DiCaprio is hardly that self centered. How can a guy who chooses roles like Jay Gatsby, or Cobb in Inception be solely interested in himself and winning an Oscar. All of Leo's characters wrestle their inner demons and deal with multiple flaws. Jay Gatsby was willing to go to any length to change who he was so that the woman he loved simply loved him back. Cobb from Inception was coping with the loss of his wife and mistakenly lets that get in the way of his mission further endangering his colleagues and friends. The way he chooses his characters and plays them is a testament to who DiCaprio really is. He knows he isn't perfect, he knows he isn't the best, but he embraces his responsibilities as an actor to deliver realistic performances.
Some people might say, "well he just knows how to play the game," as if Leo's primary objective is to win an Oscar. This guy doesn't sit in front of the mirror and say, "you deserve an Oscar," as the internet would have you believe. He is just an actor who loves his job and takes his career seriously. As far as The Revenant is concerned, sure DiCaprio may have been in life threatening conditions, but any logical human being wouldn't vote for him to win an Oscar simply because he suffered more. It's like if I vote for the worlds greatest fruit and base my judgments entirely on which fruit was grown in the harshest conditions; does that really f**king matter? No, No it doesn't (it's the Dragon Fruit, by the way, because it's got a cool name.).
So before you think that acting is now ruined and the Academy will only pick the most horrifying of circumstances by which someone played their part, please think again. Furthermore, if you think that this will not change, well, you're probably right. Nothing will change, actor will continue to gravitate toward roles that are shocking, brave, and interesting. If you really don't like that fact, then stop blaming the actors and instead blame the filmmakers for picking such stories to tell, although, lets be honest, they are way more interesting and make way more money.