Music Can Be A Sign

Here's an entry I meant to post ages ago that has been collecting dust in my saved drafts:


Last Monday evening I watched the Oscar Awards. Everyone there was in some way involved in the creation of a movie. Dressed to impress and looking their best all in sparkles and glitter, celebrities and whatnot flocked to the ceremony. The crowd was was a mass of excited people, anxiously awaiting the announcement of who would get what award. Who would be rewarded for their hard work, time and effort? Who would be recognized? Who would be given the shiny trophy and a shining moment of glory?
When a person's name was called after being read on a card, he or she would make way to the stage beaming, speech prepared. The person was given a brief moment to accept the award and say a few words expressing gratitude and thanking the little people. After the speech was given, the orchestra (which was -amazingly to me- placed directly beneath the translucent stage floor)would begin to play happy "You've just received an Oscar" music, accompanied by jovial applause.
But I noticed that there were times where people didn't seem quite ready to let go of the microphone and prance merrily off of the stage. A person would be not quite finished speaching it up, but time had run out. So the music and applause would ring loudly, a cue to stfu and get off of the stage. This was blatantly pointed out when Al Gore jokingly stepped up to the mic prepared to announce his decision to jump into next year's presidential race. But before he could get the words out, the orchestra began to play and he was forced to head back to his seat.
Now of course Al Gore wasn't literally forced back to his seat. No one physically removed him and put him in his place. In fact, there probably isn't even a written rule. How did he know to have a seat? Was there a big sign, in all caps? ATTENTION OSCAR WINNERS: PLEASE LEAVE THE STAGE AND RETURN TO YOUR SEAT WHEN THEN MUSIC BEGINS. I doubt it.
People are able to put two and two together. Every time someone leaves the stage the same music is played. So if the music is played while no one is leaving the stage, automatically it comes to mind, "Oh, I should leave the stage now."
And think of how awkward and absurd it would have been to stay on stage and keep on talking while the orchestra played. For one thing, it would ruin the happy "You've just received an Oscar" effect that the specially chosen exiting-the-stage-music was supposed to have. How could it give the happy feeling when someone is loudly talking over it? It would have broken unspoken rules. It would have been a social no-no. Imagine what people would think, "Is he really still talking?" It would have just been an awkward moment.
Remember when Michale Jackson gave that speech accepting an award he hadn't received? Awkward...
So yeah. The exiting the stage music played is a sign. It means "Thank you come again."

~Nadia