And The Oscar Goes To......

[Deleted]

For the last couple of years a fair amount of big movies have been nominated, I think. In addition, big actors have been nominated. I mean, even Brad Pitt has scored a nomination (which is weird to me, but I digress). In general, it's the big movies or actors that seem to win. Rarely, does the actually most talented person win. As long as a big actor or a gorgeous beautiful actress doesn't epically fail during the campaigning, they'll get the award.

I think the Oscars are boring to viewers because the actual show is boring. None of the comedians even crack jokes that people could actually laugh at (whether it be about politics or entertainment) for fear of alienating everyone. Now that we have youtube, we can just skip all the boring parts and watch the clips online. Either that, or Entertainment Tonight will show them to us. I think people only tune in for the dresses anyway. Well, women do anyway. Men seem to get more excited about various sporting events than the Oscars.

Celebrity has also become pretty fragmented now. With all the different kind of media available now, actors probably aren't looked to as the medium for escape anymore.

[susyhomewrecker]

Feb 26, 2010 14:34:54 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

The Oscar's ratings are slipping because the show is boring and irrelevent to many typical TV viewers. There are too many unknown movies and unknown actors nominated in the major categories that the average viewer feels like they have nothing invested. This isn't to say "little" movies and unknowns shouldn't be nominated; but when they are, esp. taking a high percentage of nominations, viewers don't care and don't watch.

Most people don't go to little independent films at little independent theatres. Whether that's good or bad depends probably on whether YOU do, but it's still fact.

But I think smaller, independent films are becoming far more accessible than they used to be. It used to be that little movies were released in New York and LA, and a couple of other big cities around the world, and if they did all right, they would go to places like Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago. Now that movie theaters have turned into ginormous megaplexes with 15+ screens, some of them actually play "arty" independent movies. Movies come out on DVD within two or three months of leaving the theater, and even if there isn't a Blockbuster nearby, people can still rent them through Netflix. Or download them online through iTunes or *ahem* other means.

They've tried to include more "popular" movies, hence nominating 10 films instead of 5. I don't know if it's going to help ratings at all, but I have a sinking feeling that the ceremony is still going to be hot, buttered ass. Because it ALWAYS IS! Part of the fun, even if you haven't seen the movies, is to point and laugh and go WTF when Jack Nicholson ogles the starlets from the front row. The ratings are probably slipping because people are watching the show on the internet, DVR-ing it so they can skip the commercials/boring parts, etc. This is a phenomenon that goes beyond The Oscars.

[Deleted]

I'm a total Oscar/movie geek so I have to use my mom as a barometer for a "normal" person. It annoys her when movies that she's never even heard of, let alone seen, get nominated for/win all the awards. She'll be thrilled if Sandra Bullock and Avatar win because Avatar was popular and Sandra isn't British and does mainstream movies. Mom has a great amount of disdain for what she considers artsy fartsy movies. I actually seek those movies out which is why, despite my love for blockbuster movies where things blow up, she thinks I'm a huge movie snob. It's a bone of contention between us and I have to restrain myself from ranting at her sometimes.

[jynni]

I have to wonder if the Oscars are slipping in popularity because:

1 - they have more competition award show wise. There are the Globes, Sags, BAFTAs etc, not to mention the slew of music and TV award shows. Seeing celebs get dressed up and win awards is nothing special anymore.

2 - I think more and more people have fallen into the opinion that they are pretty much a joke as to actually meaning anything about the quality of a movie or a performance. The entire process is completely subjective and no two people will agree on what's good or bad - especially when the general population has no clue about the process of acting or actually making a movie.

[Deleted]

1 - they have more competition award show wise. There are the Globes, Sags, BAFTAs etc, not to mention the slew of music and TV award shows. Seeing celebs get dressed up and win awards is nothing special anymore.

Yeah, I agree with this. Stars don't have a mystique anymore.

[neeley]

According to People, Joel Madden will be serving as the "house DJ" at the show. I'm confused. Does this mean no orchestra?

[Witchie]

I'm not even going to touch the fuckery of the Oscar telecast. Goodness...in an attempt to fix what's wrong, they introduce everything that will drive away those who did watch.

Anyway...interesting article from the NYTimes Oscar blog about the slew of anti-Hurt Locker articles posted in the NYTimes. Harvey, are you up to your old tricks? Carpetbagger[/color]

Timing counts in everything but horseshoes, as the saying doesn’t go, and some awards-watchers are finding the timing and placement of several Oscar-related stories mighty suspicious. “This matter has the distinct smell of awards-season dirty tricks,” S.T. Vanairsdale writes in Movieline, about a Los Angeles Times article –reported from Baghdad, Los Angeles and Washington — in which veterans and military personnel criticize “The Hurt Locker” as inaccurate and disrespectful. (It also smells pretty familiar.)

[Deleted]

Ebert has been putting forth that theory too, and I certainly wouldn't put it past Weinstein to do something that low.

[angelaudie]

It's a classic Weinstein tactic so yeah I'd say he's probably the one putting out that many in the military are offended by the film. But, in this case he's not making it up completely. There have members of the military that have publicly stated they find the film inaccurate and offensive. With that said, there have been many in the military that have praised the film and feel the film does give the average viewer some idea how war affects people. So, the suggestion every person in the military hates THL is inaccurate.

Now, the email scandal you can't really pin on Weinstein even if did leak it. The producer brought that on himself the minute he started using email, something you can trace, to ask pressure people into voting for THL and trashed another nominated film.

[Witchie]

Hurt Locker producer banned from Oscar ceremony for aggressive campaigning.

USA Today[/color]