Are You There Oscar? It's Me, Kylie.

One of the strangest moments in life is when one emotion transforms into another so quickly it takes you a moment to recover. The anticipation of the first uphill climb of a roller coaster, for example. Pinpricks of anticipation and excitement envelop you as the car click-clacks its way to the crest. Then you arrive at the summit and realize exactly what you signed up for. Fear pushes the adrenaline tingles by the wayside and you suddenly start wondering if you have all your affairs in order.

I experienced one such moment last night while watching The Daily Show. Yes, apparently, Jon Stewart is that powerful. Stewart's "entertainment correspondents" Samantha Bee and Jason Jones were lampooning the Golden Globes press conference format, which was without question a snooze-fest. It was definitely funny and I was laughing. Good times all around. The roller-coaster switch snuck up on me at the end of the segment, though. Bee and Jones wished Jon Stewart good luck hosting the Oscar press conference next month.

The Oscar what-now?

Okay, I know that it was part of the bit; Jon Stewart's perfectly timed crestfallen reaction shot is duly noted, but does very little to relieve the dull ache behind my eyes at the thought of the Academy Awards being cancelled.

But I read last week's Entertainment Weekly cover story, "Will the Oscars Happen?". And I know that SAG is standing firm on not crossing any WGA picket lines. And with declining Oscar telecast ratings already a concern, I don't think it's going too far out on a limb to say that the Academy Awards happening without writers, nominees and presenters is about as sure a bet as going all in with a two-seven offsuit.

For the love of Bruce Vilanch, we can not let this happen! The Oscars are my Superbowl. Keep your hundred yards of green turf; I've got a hundred feet of red carpet. Who needs Tom Brady or Brett Favre when you can have Johnny Depp and George Clooney? And instead of one moment of victory, the Oscars have about 30. The commercials on the Superbowl win hands down, of course, but who has time to watch commercials during the Oscars? I'm too busy updating my ballot.

The writers are taking a stand over, among other things, the issue of Internet rights, and I respect that. It's a complicated problem that will inevitably become more so as production companies and studios adapt and incorporate new technology into the way they deliver their product. But the group who is really pulling the short straw when it comes to this strike is not the WGA or the AMPTP or even the advertisers; it's us. It's the audience.

I can handle the fact that there are no new episodes of CSI: or Scrubs for a while: labor union strikes take time to work out, as we all learned in 7th grade social studies. I can turn a blind eye, for a while, as the networks crank out reality show after reality show to replace scripted television. And I am even contented with the state of the movies, for a while, because the summer lineups are already whetting my appetite for popcorn.

But what comes next?

To me, if Hollywood can't work out some sort of compromise regarding the Oscar telecast, it's a slap in the face to the viewing public that ultimately pays their salaries. I know, I know. It's just an awards show where rich, beautiful, powerful people get together and congratulate each other on how rich and beautiful and powerful they are.

But it's also the celebration of film as the ultimate, collective art form. It's a recognition of the most moving, influential and entertaining performances of the past season. It's one night out of the year when film fans can forget about the lawsuits and the DUIs and the tabloid antics and really see a picture of Hollywood at its best: creative people who can work together and produce evocative and joyful experiences for their audience.

I think that audience has a little more patience left for Celebrity Apprentice and reruns of The Office, but it's wearing thin. A sign of hope for resolution of the strike might keep us going. A compromise to allow the Academy Awards show to go on could be that sign.

So please, Oscar, don't stand us up this year. We deserve better than that.