John J. B. Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John J. B. Wilson
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Wilson at 29th Golden Raspberry Awards
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| Born | May 24, 1954 |
| Other names | John J.B. Wilson, John Wilson, Ye Olde Head Raspberry |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Copywriter, publicist |
| Known for | Founder of the Golden Raspberry Awards |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Wilson |
| Children | 1 |
John J. B. Wilson (born May 24, 1954) is an American copywriter and publicist. He is best known for creating the Golden Raspberry Awards, also called the Razzies. These awards "honor" the worst movies of the year.
Wilson studied film and television at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After college, he worked on marketing campaigns for movies. In 1981, he started the Razzies. He invited friends to his house on the night of the Academy Awards to give out awards for bad movies. The next year, a newspaper covered the event. The first Razzie for Worst Picture went to the movie Can't Stop the Music. The Razzies quickly became popular. Wilson is still very involved and is known as the "Head Razzberry." He also wrote a book called The Official Razzie Movie Guide in 2005.
John Wilson's Early Life and Movie Love
John Wilson grew up in Chicago, Illinois. When he was nine, his family moved to Santa Monica, California. Wilson says his parents loved movies. They taught him to really appreciate films. As a kid, he would sometimes skip school. He wanted to watch the Academy Awards from the bleachers.
He went to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He studied film and television there. While in college, he managed the Fox Theater, Westwood Village. After graduating, Wilson worked in movie marketing. He also worked as a copywriter for a film festival sponsor. In this job, he watched over 200 movies each year. In 2005, he was still working in film marketing. He also worked on making film trailers.
Wilson lives in Cerritos, California with his wife, Barbara. They have one son.
How the Golden Raspberry Awards Started
John Wilson got the idea for the Razzies after watching two movies, Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. He thought both movies were so bad that they should get awards for being terrible. He remembered other movies from 1980 that had disappointed him. This was especially true because he watched many films for his job.
Wilson often hosted dinner parties at his home in Los Angeles. These parties were on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards ended, Wilson gave his friends ballots. They voted for the worst movies. He held a fun award ceremony in his living room. He used a cardboard box as a podium and a foam ball on a broomstick as a microphone.
The informal ceremony was a big hit! The next week, Wilson sent out a press release. Some local newspapers, like the Los Angeles Daily News, wrote about his event.
The word raspberry in the awards' name means "blowing a raspberry." This is a playful sound people make to show they don't like something. Wilson said that the term "razz" has become very common. He is called "Ye Olde Head Razzberry."
The Razzie ceremony is like the Academy Awards. But it is meant to be silly and low-budget. The awards themselves are cheap. They cost about US$4.79 each. They are a "golfball-sized raspberry" on top of a Super 8 mm film reel. The whole thing is spray-painted gold.
About 36 people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had twice as many people. The third ceremony had even more. By the 4th Golden Raspberry Awards, news channels like CNN covered the event. Wilson realized that holding the Razzies the night before the Academy Awards was a good idea. This way, reporters from all over the world would be there and looking for something to cover.
In 2005, Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide was published. It celebrated the 25th anniversary of the awards. This book also lists Wilson's "100 favorites among the Worst Movies Ever Made."
See also
- 1st Golden Raspberry Awards
- Golden Raspberry Award
