Sorry To The Academy, The Oscars Just Aren't Relevant Anymore - CBR

The Oscars, held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been running since 1929 and saw its 94th annual gathering in March of 2022. Since its conception, the Academy Awards were a reason for stars, movie fans and filmmakers alike to gather and celebrate excellent movies. Steven McIntosh of BBC's entertainment division aptly noted, "In a pre-social media age, [the Oscars] provided a rare opportunity to glimpse the world's biggest film stars gathered in the same place; to see what they were wearing [...] to hear their speeches [...] The highest-rating Oscars aired at a time when linear television was dominant, and there weren't as many channels to watch."

However, in the era of streaming services, TikTok, video games and the like, it's evident that the Oscars just don't enjoy the pull they once did. And so, it begs the question: Are the Oscars still relevant today? With viewer ratings falling over the past two years, it certainly doesn't seem so, but The Academy is doing its absolute best (or worst) to cling to power. Over the years, like any long-running ceremony, the Oscars have adapted to the times and maintained their flashy, star-studded nature while doing so. Unfortunately, it seems that their recent changes have instead irked viewers and filmmakers in more ways than one.

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Average folk often observe that Hollywood is so distant from reality that its actions seem bizarre, whether it be stars making forced speeches on climate change, human rights or otherwise, or directors complaining about the rise of streaming services. Indeed, they have a platform, and they wish to use it for good, but it is difficult to see their stances as sincere when their careers are built on exposure (good or bad). Writing for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri noted that the Oscars seem to have lost their way of late and wrote that "Those of us who actually watch the Oscars embrace the goofiness and grandiosity and bloat of the Oscars because, in the end, there is an implied agreement that we all share a love of movies. But the people behind the Oscars seem to be forgetting that."

The decline in viewers certainly seems to demonstrate how the Oscars have, indeed, lost their way. While 2021's Oscars were unprecedented, taking place during worldwide lockdowns after a year that saw few major film releases (meaning that only 10.4 million viewers tuned in), only 15.36 million viewers watched 2022's Awards Ceremony. That is around 8 million less than 2020 and 11 million less than 2018. In a bid to save viewership, The Academy introduced two major changes this year: producers controversially cut eight technical categories from the telecast and introduced fan voting for a top movie moment via Twitter, of all things. Suffice it to say the changes didn't go down well. Speaking to Jackson Weaver of CBC, Nightmare Alley producer J. Miles Dale said, "the decision to sideline eight categories leaves a large segment of movie makers, largely on the technical side, feeling like 'second-class citizens.'" In this bid to remain relevant by including the audience in decision-making, The Academy seems to have lost sight of its purpose: to award filmmakers and actors for their talent and hard work.

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Yet, perhaps the purpose of the Oscars is instead for Hollywood magnates to pat each other on the back while snubbing other lesser-known filmmakers. Until very recently, The Academy often seemingly snubbed indie, female, or POC filmmakers. Ava DuVernay could have been the first Black woman nominated for best director for Selma (2015) but didn't even receive a nod, while Matteo Garrone’s Italian mafia drama Gomorrah (which received other accolades) was utterly ignored by The Academy. Equally, the Oscars have historically had a knack for snubbing indie movies and production companies unless they are backed by a big-budget company. For example, CODA, a coming-of-age drama directed by Sian Heder, won Best Picture at this year's Awards but was marketed by Apple+. Chris Lindahl at IndieWire stated, "Reports estimate that the company spent over $10 million on the Oscars campaign for CODA, a film that was made for under $10 million. That helped Apple earn the coveted honor of being the first streaming service to win a Best Picture win."

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So, perhaps indie movies can get recognized by the Oscars, but only if they have a wealthy backer, which seems to contradict the nature of indie cinema. Many movie fans have noted that they aren't bothered about whether a movie, indie or not, has won any awards. It seems that even some in the film industry realize this: speaking to Insider, Seth Rogen said, "I don't get why movie people care so much if other people care what awards we give ourselves [...] No other industry expects everyone to care about what awards they shower upon themselves. Maybe people just don't care."

Rogen has a point: The Oscars aren't for average audiences but instead for industry members to enjoy their success and share their art with other, like-minded individuals. Whether Hollywood is an echo chamber of yes-people is another story, but the point remains that the Oscars and other related award ceremonies are relevant to the industry, not to average viewers. The Academy Awards will likely continue to see a decline in viewership, and perhaps The Academy should accept that the Oscars aren't for everyone.