So, who do you think will win best supporting cast at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons awards? Who do think has a shot at the best score at the National Federation of Abstracting and Indexing Societies awards? Or have you been caught up in the race for best performance at this year's Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League conference?

Now, you may be asking yourself-"why would I be interested in these professional organizations?" (or, "why am I still reading this article?"). All of the professional organizations mentioned are holding at least part of their annual meeting on Sunday, Feb. 27. Just as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be giving out awards to their outstanding members at 8 p.m. from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif., so will the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics from the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island, Nebraska. You may not know who's in the running for the best Last Call at the Club Managers Association of America awards, but you probably can name the best pictures nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

What's the difference? Anyone doing a great job deserves recognition, but we pay much more attention to the achievements of actors than we do to the achievements of really important people like doctors, teachers and electricians. The Academy's annual meeting has star power-big charismatic actors who simply captivate a viewing audience.

Before you feel too bad about this attraction, understand that it's the most natural thing in the world. Marketers have known for a long time that stars attract attention to humdrum products like phone service and shampoo. But stars can sell more than merchandise. Long before Bob Dole began schilling for Viagra, grizzly bears, killer whales and elephants were selling the environmental movement

Think about it. Sure, the water cycle is vital, but sort of a yawn, don't you think?

Environmentalists, naturalist, botanist, entomologist, and other "-ists" never saw any image problem. They never sat at the cool table in high school anyway, so what did they care if the rest of society thought nature was boring? But as 20th-century

"-ists" studied their beloved nature, they began noticing that society was an inescapable source of problems and solutions. Socially inept "-ists" who were used to guiding experiments suddenly found themselves needing to guide the masses.

The "-ists" needed some professional help. Enter the marketers.

It did not take Madison Avenue long to see that the natural world has one big problem-it is frickin' boring. It is as boring as watching grass grow. Actually, as boring as watching grass grow, then seeing it eaten by a herbivore, then watching the animal crap it out, and finally watching the crap slowly decompose and fertilize the soil to make more grass. It is very similar to watching a "Full House" marathon.

To get people to take notice, nature needed a star to excite and motivate the customers. The marketers said, "Show off the cool animals." The "-ists" cringed at such a non-scientific approach, so they over-analyzed it and made peace with their natural celebrities by naming them: charismatic megafauna.

The term charismatic megafauna entered our language in the 1980s, right when many national and international conservation organizations were trying to grow as quickly as our environmental problems. By studying past environmental success stories, marketers and "-ists" reasoned that a particularly charismatic animal could attract attention and bring in enough cash to protect its habitat, which would in turn benefit all of the creatures living in the same habitat, even the goofy-looking ones. This occurred most notably in 1973 when many members of Congress were persuaded by passionate images of whales, bears, panthers and eagles to pass the Endangered Species Act.

Why is charismatic megafauna so appealing? Many experts in the fields of marketing, human psychology, and environmental protection have spent countless hours thinking about this, and they've come up with a few theories. First of all, size matters. Big animals are just plain cool as they saunter down the savannah or cruise the world's oceans. And if you're big and powerful, Americans love you (which is the only explanation for Donald Trump). Also, extra charisma points are earned if the big animal can also eat you. That's why salt-water crocodiles and great white sharks are media stars.

Others suggest that we are drawn to animals that remind us of ourselves. For example, we are attracted to the smiles of orangutans, the family structure of mountain gorillas and the human stance of bears. It all reminds us that we have some wildness in us too. Baby animals that are as innocent and inexperienced as our own kids are especially appealing (why don't those baby seals just swim away?).

There's also the underdog theory, which says people are fascinated by animals that survive despite overwhelming odds. Grizzly bears, wolves and mountain lions were nearly hunted to extinction but are now spokes-animals for campaigns of their own.

It's only natural to be drawn to charismatic megafauna, which brings us back to the 77th Annual Academy Awards. Look no further than the Best Actor category for an illustration of these underlying laws of attraction. Clint Eastwood is certainly a big, cool and powerful cat in Hollywood. Then there's Johnny Depp. His portrayal of Sir James Matthew Barrie was simple, tender and down-to-earth enough that you almost didn't mind that he might eat your children. Leonardo Di Caprio's portrayal of psycho-billionaire Howard Hughes reminded us of the wildness lurking inside our own souls, and Don Cheadle and Jamie Foxx both offered admirably challenged underdogs (however, Jamie Foxx might have a "double-underdog" edge since his character was blind). And seeing them all caged in the same theater together at the Awards? Anything might happen. Electricians just can't beat that.

So don't miss the charismatic megafauna at the Oscars this Sunday, as the sexy beasts show off their fancy plumage and strut down the red carpet. Or, if you like, you can skip the show and head to nearest zoo, York's Wild Kingdom (www.yorkzoo.com), to see "Rewa-Maine's only White Bengal Tiger." Both are worth seeing.