(Above: Jacqueline Monae on the red carpet for the premiere for the new hit show, Bernadino)
Doatia’s acclaimed award season is near, and first on the docket is the long celebrated Dappies. The Dappies are awards for any and all Doatian television shows and all artists that contribute to the industry; this includes but is not limited to Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Studios.
They will be held at the Reynoldo Theatre in Downtown Fultino (Southwestern Doatia), the home of Doatia’s entertainment industry that produces Doatia’s movies and television shows, on Saturday 9/21 at 8pm. Fultino, the biggest city in the state of Fevliki, is home to the vast majority of production studios. Often dubbed Fultiville, its also home to many famous actors and actresses.
The Doatian entertainment industry is one of the few industries to avoid nationalization in the 70’s, largely due to fears of potential government censorship. It’s also widely considered one of Doatia’s most valued industries, as media is a large part of Doatian culture. Whether it’s tv shows that they can binge, or critically acclaimed movies they can go see, Doatian’s adore their entertainment.
Most historians say Doatia’s love for media comes from, at least in part, the Dappies, which originally started to raise awareness about stories featuring marginalized communities in Doatia. While the awards show has morphed into something else entirely (recognition of any and all of Doatian television; having excluded movies from the proceedings decades ago), it remains a widely celebrated and recognized part of Doatian society.
In fact, The People’s Chamber has convened a special legislative session for members to view the show and then discuss it afterwards, for the last 32 years. Doatian’s see their lives in the media, and therefore can relate to it. They can develop attachment for the movies and shows, and the characters created within. It is also important to note that Doatia ranks among the world’s best producers of movies and tv.
Whether it be the 6-time Dappy winner “Devin”, a limited series about a transgender teenager taking over their family’s business to support their family during a Doatian recession, “Return of the Mack” which was nominated for a Dappy 17 times and won twice, which was a 8-season show featuring a Gungi elderly woman who was a drug lord on Gungi island (based on a true story), or the legendary “Dauntless”, a historical fiction that spanned 13 seasons and sported 63 Dappy wins about a bloody and ruthless competition for the throne in a ancient and fictionalized Doatia, the Dappies has seen many shows come and go (good and bad).
What remains true: Doatians are obsessed with what Fultiville has to offer. In a recent poll, Doatians ranked television and movie entertainment as the 2nd most influential source of inspiration/motivation in their lives, with family ranked 1st, education 3rd, and tradition 4th. Even politicians utilize the influence entertainment has on Doatian’s, by frequently quoting or referring to famous television shows and movies. Such as when former Conservative Party Chair Rebecca Loaz quoted Vivica Neranda (The main character in Return of the Mack) in her famous inauguration speech.
So each award season, which begins in mid September and continues until mid November, is truly a big deal for the nation.
This year’s Dappies is no different, featuring 17 returning shows and 14 new shows that have been nominated this year, the 6th most in Dappy history.
Among the most popular nominees are:
“Jessica: Story of a Warrior” – starring Bernadette Williams as Jessica Lansbury, a religious advocate that pushed for the prohibition of sex work and alcohol in 20th century Doatia society. Jessica often faced ridicule, harassment, and even violence. She ran for a seat in the People’s Chamber multiple times, all of which were unsuccessful. She started her own religious order, the descendant of which exists in the ‘Order of the Noble’, a conservative religious faction closely aligned with the Doatian Nationalists party. Jessica was eventually indicted on attempted murder, burglary, arson, bribery, intimidation, and corruption charges; she was found guilty after a years-long trial, and spent the rest of her life (32 years) in prison. The show has been nominated 7 times this year; it is in its 2nd season.
“Bernadino” – starring Jacqueline Monae as former Chancellor Cori Bernadino, the shows covers Bernadino’s rise to power from community organizer, to city councilor, to Mayor and beyond. It tells the tale of how Bernadino faced trials of sexism, harassment, death threats, and more. It also features the story of how she helped form the historic EJP-PLP Coalition government, in the early 70’s, which spanned more than 5 decades. The show, which is in its 1st season, has 29 nominations this year.
“Abnegation: A Daultness story” – starring Jackson Comet (older brother of Francine Comet) and Chelsea Carnes, the spinoff of “Dauntless” is a prequel to the original show and tells the story of how the Duran family originally claimed the throne of Doatia and eventually lost it. The show is in its 3rd season, and has 22 nominations this year.
“The Wolf” – starring Francine Comet (sister of Actor Jackson Comet), tells the story of Claudette Georgina Qualson, Doatia’s first female and first openly bisexual Billionaire. Based on a true story, it takes viewers from Claudette working a part time in fast food to becoming a business mogul. Claudette Qualson, who sold her companies in 2022 and is now 82 and retired, was apart of production. The show is in its 1st season and has 14 nominations this year.
and “House of Bokum” – starring Kristin Davis and Prince Alsheer Bokum, the docuseries tells the perspective of Queen Aiyisha and Prince Alsheer as former Princess Ayana made her inflammatory comments last year that spared international and domestic condemnation, and how the Queen and Prince themselves had lobbied members of the People’s Chamber to restrict the monarchy. Both the Queen and Prince were subsequently charged with violating the Monarch’s code of conduct by intervening in Doatia’s democratic process. Their trial was delayed after the DRF uprising but is scheduled to continue this fall. The show is in its 1st season and has been nominated 5 times this year.
150 Dappy Committee members (selected by the Entertainment Workers of Doatia, EWD) and 300 Doatian citizens selected randomly, decide the nominations and vote for the winners. Altogether, there are over 200 nominations this year, the 8th most in Dappy history.
Protest planned outside of Dappies
A protest that law enforcement has said the expect to be “massive” is planned outside of the Dappies, organized by activists calling on the government to respond to fast-rising unemployment in Doatia, largely caused by the implementation and rollout of “Android authorization” in the private and public sector. After Ezpera Industries, the makers of the “Androids” (Human-like artificially intelligent robots) successfully lobbied the Doatia government to approve the Android Authorization policy, unemployment has risen 7% from 3.3% to 10.7%. While proponents of the policy argue that it has been a boost to the Doatian economy by cutting labor costs and rapidly improving production rates, the opposition argues the human cost of the policy is too great.
The People’s Chamber, all the major parties, the Recardo Administration, and Ezpera Industries themselves have been largely silent on the controversy, mostly refraining from speaking on the issue at all. Protesters hope to force the government’s hand by engaging in civil disobedience and “causing a ruckus”, as the organizers have put it, at one of Doatia’s most publicized and recognized events.
