2008 Woodie Awards
Is Oscar buzz just background noise?
MARISSA DUBAY
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: A&E
American ratings for this year's Oscars ceremony have slipped down more than 20 percent from previous years.
The significant decline could be attributed to a lack of upbeat movies, or simply a decreasing interest in visual entertainment altogether, as we turn our attentions to more pressing matters - the upcoming election, for example. Why spend time fussing over celebrity fashions when the future of our country, and indeed our world, is at stake?
Yet another factor potentially affecting ratings could be the combined movies' average performances in theaters. Only a handful of the nominees were received well by critics and moviegoers alike. Only one nominee in the "best picture" category, the indie film "Juno," surpassed 100 million at the box office. Ironically, some of the most noteworthy nominees are the independent ones, including "Once" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."
While we are temporarily without our favorite shows due to the Writer's Guild Strike, it surprises me that not more of us turned to the Oscars for our recreational fix. It makes me wonder if we are relying less on our usual leisurely distractions, and more on substantial information.
If the ratings affect the entertainment industry adversely in the long run, it would be a shame for those involved. However, if the change has anything to do with the way we live, maybe it's for the better.
Could it be that Americans are turning off their TVs and spending their free time doing more productive things, such as fighting global warming, feeding the homeless, and saving kittens from trees? Perhaps, in a perfect world, but it probably has more to do with this ceremony remaining on its last legs after running for 80 years.
The significant decline could be attributed to a lack of upbeat movies, or simply a decreasing interest in visual entertainment altogether, as we turn our attentions to more pressing matters - the upcoming election, for example. Why spend time fussing over celebrity fashions when the future of our country, and indeed our world, is at stake?
Yet another factor potentially affecting ratings could be the combined movies' average performances in theaters. Only a handful of the nominees were received well by critics and moviegoers alike. Only one nominee in the "best picture" category, the indie film "Juno," surpassed 100 million at the box office. Ironically, some of the most noteworthy nominees are the independent ones, including "Once" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."
While we are temporarily without our favorite shows due to the Writer's Guild Strike, it surprises me that not more of us turned to the Oscars for our recreational fix. It makes me wonder if we are relying less on our usual leisurely distractions, and more on substantial information.
If the ratings affect the entertainment industry adversely in the long run, it would be a shame for those involved. However, if the change has anything to do with the way we live, maybe it's for the better.
Could it be that Americans are turning off their TVs and spending their free time doing more productive things, such as fighting global warming, feeding the homeless, and saving kittens from trees? Perhaps, in a perfect world, but it probably has more to do with this ceremony remaining on its last legs after running for 80 years.
Be the first to comment on this story