On its annual broadcast, The Oscars added another member to the gang.
Last month, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed that they will prerecord some awards and then include an abbreviated version in their broadcast.
Why?
It runs for three hours and more. This feature will allow you to reduce its running time by only a few minutes. You can hear the outrage in the industry, which was amplified by the press. It also led to at least one prominent resignation.
The decision alienated industry insiders, no doubt, but will have negligible impact on the show’s ratings. A few minutes shaved off an already gargantuan broadcast won’t coax many viewers back.
Why bother?
Oscar producers worry about historic ratings drops on March 27. Last year’s dismal 10.4 million figure represented a staggering 56 percent drop from the previous year. Due to the fact that there are no blockbusters available for award, it is possible that 2022 will see similar figures, or even worse.
Only DuneIt can be considered populist and earned $108 million in stateside theatres. The 2016 GhostbustersSony reported that reboot brought in $128 million, and Sony spent $70 million.
What is really interesting about this story? How blind or unwillingly the show producers are to real problems facing the Oscars.
Let’s start with a reality no Oscar producer can fix. Stars are everywhere in the current culture. We read their Twitters, watch their Instagram stories and view them from late-night couches or other places.
We can’t escape them, part of an emerging media landscape that didn’t exist 30-odd years ago. You could even be 20. This means that seeing them all gathered on Oscar night will be less appealing.
Mass Appeal embraced the 8-Track Tape
Problem is not in the films themselves. Populism is not part of Oscar DNA anymore. Films like “Populism” are not new. Green Book The King’s SpeechThey were both well-crafted and had mass appeal.
Now, niche fair like Moonlight, Water’s Shape NomadlandThese are the Oscar standard-bearers. They earned only a small fraction of the movie industry’s average weekend gross, so most people have never seen them.
They will not.
With the outbreak, movies suffered as well. Many of their features were able to be streamed from streaming sites instead of being shown at local theaters. This cultural shift may seem inevitable but makes films less important and smaller.
As a result, the Oscars are less worthy.
The biggest threat facing the Oscars broadcast isn’t just ignored by the Academy. The institution is cheering it on, unaware it’s crushing a once-beloved institution.
Woke.
Hollywood Lost Its Soul, and Hollywood Got Woke
The Oscar ceremony is being dominated by Woke, who can be seen all over Hollywood. The recent “diversity” mandate for Best Picture nominees made it official, but it was beside the point. La La Land was awake long before this.
What does this mean for the Oscars ceremony Let’s count the ways:
- Woke monologues:More virtue signaling, less funny
- Acceptance speeches for WokeHalf of the country is alienated by finger-wagging speeches
- Woke nominees:Progressive politics often leads to inferior products and division of viewers.
Is this the latest sign that Oscar producers have lost touch with their audience? The Academy chose a trio of “stars” to host this year’s gala – Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. Two of the three are aggressively partisan, telling heartland viewers this year’s show will be as progressive as the past.
At the moment, none are in high demand. Schumer’s star power soared after her TrainwreckIt was a huge success. It was seven years ago.
Here’s How to Bring Back Oscar Viewers
Imagine what the Oscars would look like if they invited Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle as hosts to the show. It would make a huge difference in the viewership.
- Would Gervais repeat his 2020 Golden Globes skewering of the elite?
- Could Chappelle lap his controversial Netflix stand-up with his Oscar monologue?
- Would Rogan’s very presence suggest Hollywood is taking a stand against Cancel Culture scolds at long last?
A choice of one or more of the three could bring excitement and even danger to the event. Instead the Academy selected divisive figures with few fans to bring in a crowd. Love or hate Rogan, Chappelle or Gervais, you wouldn’t dare tune out.
What is the biggest problem facing today’s Oscars? The Oscars are facing a major problem today. You can blame them. Today’s Oscars are boring, tedious and full of sanctimonious speeches that drag on for hours. Who wants to endure that, especially when we’ve never had so many entertainment options before?
- TikTok
- YouTube
- More streaming channels than you can count
Team Oscar can’t accept the new reality. The team moves a handful of show elements to try to attract audiences back, angering their core.
Now, with ABC allegedly vowing to cancel the broadcast entirely if the ratings don’t improve, we’ve entered a new Oscar phase.
You can call it Death Watch. Is this the Death Watch?
[Cross-posted from Hollywood in Toto]
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