The Oscars' Decline Is Bad News For Cinema

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With the support of Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union Plus.
In this video essay I look at the Oscars' declining viewership in recent years, and why this could be bad news for the film industry, and cinema at large. Included in the discussion are films like this years best picture winner Nomadland, as well as previous ones like Titanic and The Return of the King.
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[@TheDiscardedImage]

What does everyone else think? Am I being hyperbolic?

[@heechman]

wow im early

[@derekbrou]

I love this channel and I wouldn't say you're being hyperbolic, here's my loooooong ass thought on it: My personal problem with the Oscars now is that they'll try to do anything to get a larger viewership- except watch movies. They spend millions of dollars on this event and try every cringy gimmick to appeal to millennials and younger generations, and as a millennial I can say most of us find it gross and laughable. But maybe if they didn't just nominate predictable movies that are produced by gigantic studios with the money to spend on for your consideration campaigns, and maybe if they actually bothered to follow through with their promises to be more diverse and and acknowledge filmmakers of different cultural backgrounds instead of handing out a pittance just for posturing, and MAYBE if we didn't constantly hear leaked quotes where an academy member whose job it is to watch movies says "well god who has time to watch movies??", maybe then I'd start caring again. And yes the decedent costumes and wealth on display definitely don't help. But this problem some people have with "wokeness" isn't my issue, it's the fake wokeness. They're trying to appeal to two battling ideologies, AND to two battling views on film, and riding a line where they commit to neither, and by doing that they appeal to no one. I'd like to see them be actually "woke" and stop doing things like suddenly rearranging the order of awards to build up to a deceased black actor only to award someone else. Like how did they think people would react to that? It's clear to everyone they just want to bank on the appearance of change without actually making any changes. And as for people who care about film as an art vs. people who consume it as content, it's precisely their introduction of "best popular film" so they can further sideline real shit for ratings brought by showcasing bland repetitive theme park rides that has driven away people who actually care about the current state of cinema. So the snobs ain't watchin, and average joe movie goers are tired of the 20,000 dollar ballroom gowns telling people we need to do something about pollution and racism when THEY are the biggest polluters and biggest profiteers of class inequality there is. I know I'd like to see them reign in their hedonism, commit to social justice initiatives within the academy, and just fucking watch more than 5 movies a year but even for those that completely disagree with that, I think everyone agrees that either way they need to pick a lane and take a stance on some shit or they're going to disappear, and no one will be sad about it. But you're right, when they go the middle budget movie will disappear and that is a bigger loss than most people realize. I guess I'm kinda hoping an awards show with actual interest in contemporary film movements that are different and truly groundbreaking will swoop in and take the place of the Oscars, but that probably won't happen.

[@BJReolon]

fuck the oscars

[@derfanddarf1]

Yah, the Oscars aren't worth your time or anyone else's. Art forms don't need awards at all, really.

[@jarrethendrickson2203]

@@derekbrou I think you're spot on. I'm happy to see someone else acknowledge the loss of the mid-budget film. As someone who went to film school, and has had a lot of conversations with people about movies (something that rarely happens with anyone I meet who's under the age of 30 anymore -- Younger people just don't seem to care about film or classic films or films as an art form. I'm 29 btw and the difference between how people were talking about movies 10-15 years ago versus now is pretty crazy.) The biggest difference I've noticed between now and then is the decline of the mid-budget film. In a lot of the movie conversations I mentioned, most conversations that sparked excitement or passion in people, wither it was the average joe at a multiplex, a cinephile at a film festival or someone at film school were conversations about mid-budget films. Those are what inspired me to want to make films in the first place. It's what the majority of my cohorts in film school aspired to. Take away Goodfellas, Seven, Zodiac, Fight Club, The Social Network, The Godfather, Platoon, JFK, Chinatown, The French Connection, Kill Bill 1 & 2, Gone Girl, Casino, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Jackie Brown, Scarface, Network, Taxi Driver, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Blue Velvet, L.A. Confidential, as well as the work of Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock etc...And you just took away why so many people I've spoken to fell in love with film in the first place...There only seems to be a handful of filmmakers (born between 1960-1970's) who can still get those films made, but they're far and few between and while there are filmmakers born in the 1980's who've made some indi stuff I've really loved, the only options they seem to have are make another low budget indi or make a franchise monstrosity where their voice will be lost...I doubt the Oscars are going to turn it around. And as awesome as it would be to see a new awards show take their place, I doubt that will happen...With the way things are going, we'll probably be stuck with the academy giving awards to films about social displacement/exploitation of workers and socio economic inequality while they kick homeless people to the curb to make room for their red carpet event where celebrities in grossly expensive designer outfits talk about how there needs to be more compassion in the world...All while the cost of their red carpet gowns alone could probably feed the above mentioned homeless people for a year...It's just gross and laughable as you stated...And the focus of the oscars doesn't even seem to be about the movies themselves anymore. All the conversations now seem to be about poor ratings leading to increasing irrelevancy, how bloated and boring the show is year after year, fake "wokeness", the general public (and somehow the academy) having not seen most of the nominees etc...The crazy thing is only several years ago this wasn't even an issue and the oscars were on par with something like the Super-bowl as a cultural event. Now they increasingly seem to represent everything that's wrong with modern American society...To end my long and winding rant -- It just makes me sad and frustrated as someone who loves movies that the death of the academy is the death of the mid-budget movie when that's what made me, and so many others, fall in love with movies in the first place...One bright note, I was happy to hear a shout out for Another Round at the end of the video. That was an excellent film and I hope it's Oscar win causes more people to become aware of it's existence and seek it out -- because if not, what's the point of the Oscars if they can't raise awareness of an excellent film that might otherwise get overlooked for: having no characters with superpowers, no garish CGI, not being part of a formulaic franchise or requiring people to read subtitles?

[@angrytigger83]

Celebrities used to be viewed as glamorous and inaccessible but now it's just cringe. Being lectured by millionaires about consumerism, privilege and your carbon footprint is not a fun time.

[@siddhanttripathi7943]

Well that's that and why did Daniel Kaluyya was given a Best Supporting Actor Award ???? He was clearly the Lead

[@dianecourtney2724]

@@siddhanttripathi7943 Who ?

[@tylerhackner9731]

Exactly no regular person likes that lol

[@barrnycharlton8951]

I agree but at the same time the world is so thick that many people who don’t have brains will only listen to Iron man talking about climate change; they are hypocrites yes but them using there influence for progress can be a good thing

[@coltonc7832]

Friendly reminder that the term "carbon footprint" was popularized by none other than BP. Let that sink it.

[@cursedtiki213]

The Oscar are not, nor have they ever been, about cinema as an artform. It's an industry circle jerk. I could care less if they continue to exist. I'll watch what I want and come to my own conclusions about them.

[@mariogiresi6792]

I feel the best has already been produced. The true golden era of storytelling is behind us. The whole industry seems to be dominated by Marvel, DC, Pixar, sequels, prequels, and remakes. Some folks enjoy this and that’s great. But some of us would like something a little more than comic books and million dollar cartoons. Just my opinion 😊

[@GustafGouda]

When I was a kid, growing up in Germany in the 90s, the Oscars were one of the few opportunities to see my favourite actresses and actors in "real life". That certainly changed with KZbin.

[@mauve9266]

I think the ‘death’ of the traditional celebrity probably plays a part in award ceremonies’ decline. Like it’s doesn’t hold the same allure perhaps cos they’re more accessible now and with the rise of influencers, I think it’s a similar thing.

[@RodTejada502]

And don't get me started on the animation category: most members don't even bother to see the films!! They just pick what their kid liked or Pixar or Disney and call it a day.

[@jothishprabu8]

Peuple are forgetting the real reason for the decline: NOBODY USES CABLE TV !!!

[@nunouno001]

My biggest problem with the Oscars has always been the culture of self-glorification. Look at every article that isn't about ratings or representation, it's about who got the best costumes, the best speeches, and who gets to win the award and be the best of the best. However this just encourages a sink to the bottom winner-take-all mentality that disparages every other film or effort that isn't recognized. Because the Oscars isn't about recognizing or rewarding the merits of films and filmmakers, it's about letting the cream of Hollywood self congratulate themselves by giving themselves trophies, press coverage, and more time in the limelight. If the focus of the oscars really was about awarding films and filmmaking accomplishment, than ratings and trophies wouldn't matter. If I ran a film award show, I would award several if not dozens of films for showcasing the best that cinema has to offer in a single public annoucement and then just mail the trophies to the winners if they want it. You could argue that this devalues the concept of winning if there are multiple winners, but that is my point. The point isn't to win and be the best, but to recognize the best films and performances this year had to give us, all of them.

[@hyperabs4950]

It's all good with what you're saying, but a competition also has its merits! People do push themselves further if they feel they will get some recognition and prestige. I'm sure the competition could be tweaked tho.

[@rsienicki]

To be honest "culture of self-glorification" is just another name of "Awards", because that's how it will always looks like. It's the same in any Award ceremony. Music, Books, Comics. It will always look the same. People who make them, will give the awards to other people who make them as sort of pat on the back. I feel like this is something that can't be changed, so you either dislike the concept in general and don't bother, or just embrace the flaws and enjoy.

[@paulvoorhies8821]

@@hyperabs4950 No it’s not, it’s stupid.

[@emperorsascharoni9577]

I feel like the nominations should be that. Have only the best movies be nominated and then crown 1 among the best. It’s just important to make a big deal out of being nominated and lower the importance of the prize.

[@EZVideoStore]

I think the Oscars losing popularity definitely poses the risk of movies losing their mainstream stature, but it's been losing it for a while now. I'm pretty sure it started once interactive and social media came about. I seriously have friends who ask me "who even watches movies anymore?". I think it's entirely possible that movies, in general, might become as niche as the novel did after Film and Television came about. But I think the end of the Oscars being popular might also be a good thing. I think it makes us realize that filmmaking isn't out there, exclusively for an elite deciding what is good or bad, or what should be made and what shouldn't. The biggest challenge for us is not figuring out how we're gonna make sure Cinema isn't reduced to content, (that's their concern) but how we as up-and-coming filmmakers are going to turn our content into cinema. and that's what ambitious filmmakers need to do on this platform. What Joel Haver is doing is a great example.

[@rgreenberg35]

No. Me want man in cape going pow pow. Me no want original content. More pow pow and 80s reboot!!!

[@popculturearchive]

Movies losing their mainstream stature also has to do with people nowadays having short attention spans. I was shocked to see how popular all these KZbin channels that recap movies for people who can't be bothered watching the full movies are.

[@neonatalpenguin]

I think there’s a much broader problem with Western pop culture now. It’s been happening since the 2008 financial crisis. As a response to piracy, the music industry restructured itself around lowest common denominator chart pop without any spontaneity or danger. As a result, many of the accoutrements of 20th Century music fandom have died away too, and comparatively few people care about pop music anymore. Something similar happened to movies, albeit at a slower rate. Part of this restructuring has involved altering the parameters by which culture is judged. Modern critics view pretentiousness, snobbery and auteurism as the worst sins one can commit, while camp and broad comedy are among the highest virtues. There’s no counterweight to the corporate fizz of modern blockbusters. If you make the case that Disney Star Wars has no artistic reason to exist, you’re seen as an old-fashioned party-pooper. There’s been a kind of a feedback loop here: Hollywood makes increasingly shallow movies for an increasingly shallow audience. Much as I’m not really a Piers Morgan fan, he’s right about wokeness being an issue too. How’s anyone supposed to get excited by a film that feels like a HR meeting? A lot of the time, films and TV shows get glowing critical reviews that say things like “this is a stunning look at gay adoption in the Asian community”, but then they turn out to be complete two-dimensional rubbish. Can you really blame people for losing patience with the critical establishment when it keeps insisting that anodyne political propaganda is the new Citizen Kane?

[@MikeMJPMUNCH]

It would be interesting to hold award cermony years later so that then the hype surrounding certain films dies down and the genuine great ones shine more since that is what makes a great film or performance is the the legacy and influence it has years later.

[@jarrethendrickson2203]

I'd love to see a 10 years later edition of the Oscars where they re-screened and nominated the films from that year. I bet the results would be vastly different.

[@dickthebirthdayboy2132]

yeah like 2010 where the Kings Speech one best picture 🤢🤮

[@mauve9266]

@@jarrethendrickson2203 that would be so cool.

[@ghw7192]

Like when box office bombs become cult favorites?

[@Vesnicie]

Film culture, music culture, art culture in general, have all been moribund for awhile. We have been so successfully divided and conquered, no longer sharing enough of a common culture to hold up great works of popular art. It is indeed a big problem, because it means that social cohesion is coming undone. Marvel films are so popular not just because they're mostly mindless, but because they are devoid of any real culture, they are the ultimate fantasy, they play just as well in China or India or Belarus as they do in the United States. That is the niche they fill, but now that has become the only niche. The little echo chambers created by technology and exploited by corporate interests have brought us to a point where we don't even share enough in common to enjoy the same reasonably intelligent, culturally literate film.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

Fantastically written. I liked this comment a lot Mr. McSquishbottom! In my most pessimistic I feel like art is over, it's a rich kids club only* now, and the doors have shut for good now, and their art doesn't talk about anything, has nothing to do with the real world, and is the most vile poison that they could spit on the people's faces, whatever culture there is is a mockery, whatever reality there'd be is one no one lives in. But on my most optimistic I like to think that normal people will be able to find a way to make art away from the rich, a bit like in the medieval ages where music played in castles and in the fields were completely different art from completely different universes, even if that's a grim way to be optimistic. Hell I don't mind playing for the peasants, that was the culture that was transmitted around, the rich folks always had to copy the folk folks, I don't wanna be and I can't be like a Marvel movie, my only worry is that people who come from working class non elite backgrounds (aka people who need dayjobs while they make art, which is the farthest inferior underworld to hollywood) can only have their art heard or seen by entering this corporate abomination. In my childhood KZbin and the sort of social media seemed like a hopeful solution to that, but it's now yet another corporate monster, and even worsening. I think what's gonna happen is that divide will be just like that of centuries ago with art.

[@KW-vy1rf]

Dan Murrell made a great video during the 2019 awards season where he did the math and showed that it's really, REALLY hard for a movie to get nominated or win best Picture if it comes out before like October, basically. Studios know that so they push all their prestige stuff to the end of the year but also that means that awards season happens after all the big festivals - Cannes, Venice, TIFF, Telluride - so films can use the festivals as jumping off points to generate buzz. I think you have a good point, that without the prestige of awards season, studios will have no incentive to make prestige pictures - but I'm afraid that that horse is out of its stable. I think with the increasing shift between art films and mainstream films, with the increasing fragmentation of how and where people view films, with the increasing demystification of celebrity and shift in what types of celebrities people still care about, and with the increasing amount of things clamouring for our attention, I can't see any way for the Oscars to recoup its place in the sun. I love awards seasons and awards films and to be honest, I thought the 2019 crop of Oscar films was quite a fun mix - crime thrillers, unconventional war films, beloved book adaptation, old Hollywood redux. None of those films were boring or stuffy and I think the Oscar caliber films suffer from a branding issue where people assume they'll all be heavy and serious when they're not. Minari is about a family in crisis but it's also frequently charming and funny. Sound of Metal is sad but also life-affirming and all about the importance of community. I think if more people watched these movies, they'd be surprised how much they liked them but the trick now is getting the average person to see the films first. People will be more likely to tune in if they actually know the movies that are nominated and have seen them.

[@wtevwwe11]

As a European I totally agree with the last bit of this video, usually the best foreign language film is better than the best picture winner, which makes no sense. That is why I was happy to see how they dared to award Parasite last year, which at least is a positive note.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

As a South American I can definetly agree with you too. The "rest of the world" category packs so many different powerhouses of the industry together that honestly it's the only interesting category that I look for when the nominees or the candidates list comes out, because in there I can find numerous films on par and many times superior to the "Best Picture". I can find one of the best movies out of strong cinema industries like those in france, germany, italy, korea, japan and even elsewhere in countries that might not get the anglophones' spotlight frequently such as that romanian film that got some recognition this year, or some african ones that were shortlisted this time around and even that of my neighbors in LatAm of course. But it wouldn't make sense for the US to admit too often when the best movie of the year simly isn't "theirs", that's not very american. Plus, since art is subjective they can get away with making objectively terrible choices and no one'll bother much.

[@tylercallahan7514]

I think it depends by the year. Moonlight is absolutely better than The Salesman but anything is better than Green Book

[@outdoorminer5533]

Yep. When I think Wong Kar-Wai has never won an Oscar or Park Chang-Wook when they have made movies that surpass many of the best winner pictures, I have to admit, it does make me a little salty. I'm glad that now, belatedly, the Oscars are taking notice of a lot of these films.

[@sanelino3069]

@@tylercallahan7514 I hated Moonlight and enjoyed Green Book

[@VARMOT123]

@@RenegadeShepard69 india produces at least 30 odd movies better across 6-7 language industries than all those other countries combined

[@mindyabizniz]

the oscars are in decline because people are losing faith in the opinions of the oscar voters. being an oscar nominated film used to mean something. it was a guarantee that you were about to watch a special piece of entertaining cinema. now more often than not, it signals a snoozefest

[@OldboyRaf]

Well that was a really great surprise that parasite won the award of the best film. I mean a masterpiece earn the place of best film and best director. It's not always the case. Nomadland... Was... OK I guess?.. The natural photography was well done...

[@kidwithaphonecamera]

Tbh I loved Nomadland. Saw it back in December, loved it. Surprised it actually won

[@clarapilier]

Awards are dumb. I rather talk about any piece of art than actually give one piece an award because I compare it against another.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

@panda cooper she comes from a completely different culture (IMO much better than Hollywood's culture easily). So I understand her point of view on this. But what I mean to say is that most americans who agree with her wouldn't say that so openly when/if they win the award, like Joaquin Phoenix I suppose, who played his typical uninterested character rather than just spatting it out that it's a futile thing to celebrate. She said what the rest of the world is already thinking but just doesn't have the platform to say. Here where I live the oscars are just marketing for a movie, back in the 00s in my childhood it meant that the movie would get those golden stickers in their dvd covers at the rental store, but other than that, meh, we don't even understand how it works, because it's so far off from our reality, it's like 'ok this actor/director/film is good enough for an oscar, because the american rich cinema elite decided' = which is close to meaninglessness.

[@andrebrito9337]

There are way better pop culture movies of the 70s, 80s and 90s then any movie now a days It’s sad

[@joancarlestomas]

In this era of fashion influencers on instagram, I don't think that self-glorification is the problem

[@Sirrajj]

Based on thumbnail I thought you will criticize Nomadland saying that Oscar's sense of judgement of the best picture is in declining! Lol

[@JB-bq2qj]

I thought you were gonna say it’s Mubi’s fault

[@MaxwellSchreck66633]

Great channel and another great video.

[@johns123]

I like how you did this video: showing your face, expressing emotion (not over the top), allowing for more natural speech. It worked well for the subject matter

[@claudimarimai]

nice video . thanks :-) best wishes from austria

[@MegaUtube99]

This was a really well made, thought provoking video

[@latenightlogic]

Not only are the studios ruining cinema, the public is ruining it… imagine paying to see a superhero movie. Egh.

[@TizocTigres]

As much as I don't care about the Oscar's, I still find myself wanting to find out which film got Best Pictute, Best Foreign, Short, etc. And because of the Oscar's, I was able to find out about A Prophet in 2009, somehow I missed it that year.

[@pinkyboy8576]

It's okay if the film industry won't make prestigious films anymore. I, myself, accept the fate to watch films that released before the year 2000.

[@Dzanarika1]

Me too.

[@armandogarciaaizaga4728]

Great video brother! It's definitely not an easy subject to tackle.. but same as you, I'm worried about the future of cinema. I really think the Oscars are necessary. Yes, the nominees/winners are not always the most deserving but it's not really about that, it's about keeping cinema alive for mainstream audiences. There will always be filmmakers and "cinephiles" who are there for festivals and smaller movies, but if regular audiences just go to the cinema to watch the biggest blockbusters, that's all we will get. Theaters will stop showing smaller movies, not just indies but smaller studio movies too. And that, that is fucking heartbreaking. I'd honestly prefer to shot myself in the face to live in a world where that happens. Either way, let's hope for the best.

[@AllThingsFilm1]

Excellent commentary. Subscribing.

[@azwaramiraja2283]

Your argument makes so much sense. The "season" release could be the reason

[@rsienicki]

I live in Poland and same as you, I had to wake up in the middle of the night so I can watch The Oscars. And it usually run so long that the Best Picture category was given out when I was getting ready for school. So there is a huge nostalgic feel about The Oscars for me, but I have to say, I understand the decline. I myself stopped watching the Oscars for few years, cause I lost interest. I came back when few years ago, when I had bigger come back to the cinema. But I feel the show just stopped being fun, maybe? I fondly remember Billy Crystal and his cameos edited into movies. I think Oscars should go the way Golden Globes do. Get best picture - drama, and best picture - comedy/entertainment. Because there is a lot of good uplifting movies, but it's hard to compete with a solid drama in one category. I don't know. I feel like drama beats comedy just because it's drama, so it feels smarter. :D

[@eventfulsounds6641]

I just feel like if they put the oscars on streaming services it solves the problem

[@armandogarciaaizaga4728]

Great fucking point.

[@danwalton1913]

100%

[@Dzanarika1]

No, it won't solve the problem. It has been dumb for years. It has been dead and will stay dead.

[@elichilton7031]

Excellent point ol' bean.

[@ImaginationHammer]

I’ve never watched the Oscars before.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

I've only watched the 2020 one. But we barely paid attention to it, it was like watching american sports for me and the family, we were just trying to understand how it works, why were the people there dressed so strangely, and just eating and chilling, and then parasite won which was cool, the korean guys were all surprised and genuinely seemed to like it, whereas for the hollywoodians it just felt less special, like, "we'll be here next year who cares", and that's all I remember really. Don't recommend it.

[@christopherd.1200]

Hello- the reason the Oscar telecast has been falling in the ratings recently is quite simple- the last say 15 years the studios have been mainly interested in making blockbuster and superhero franchises. so that when the Oscar telecast comes around the majority of the films nominated for Best Picture, Best Director etc...... are by and large low budget indies. so that people who went to see Avengers-Endgame 4, 5 or even 6 times have no interest in watching to see if Nomadland is going to win.

[@LycanVisuals]

I tried AMC-A List in 2019, just time for the many great movies that came out that was the first time in a while I cared about the Oscars. I think the Oscars may eventually get some viewership back, but this pandemic certainly didn't help.

[@maximilian1816]

I feel like the biggest problem now is that the Oscar’s are on broadcasting, and not many people still have broadcast tv. But imagine if the Oscar’s were out to Streaming. They can out it on any network they chose, heck imagine if it was on mulitple. Like “Disney, Netflix, and Warner Beos are nominated this year, we can give them the option to put it on all of their networks” suddenly it’s on Max, Disney Plus, Paramount, Netflix, you pick

[@starkingbiker]

worldwide audiences should never decide what good art is. sorry but i would never trust audiences who dont go out of their comfort zones and only watch the mainstream flicks and then complain that “Avengers” wasnt nominated. Obviously, when they don’t even try to watch indies and arthouse, and generally dont care, why should they complain about the nominees if they haven’t even seen them? The problem lies within audiences who aren’t open enough to new things.

[@00HoODBoy]

changing it from awarding the best work to awarding the most popular would defeat the purpose in the first place. complete objectivity is impossible but the point still stands

[@00HoODBoy]

@Tom Ffrench it's not about looking down on them, I don't think that was his/her intention. At least for me It's about pushing boundaries and using every characteristic the medium of film has to offer and pursuing excellence in them. Which is something superhero movies definitely don't do, no disrespect. We are talking about awarding excellence(in theory, reality might look different), "culture feeling" is a nebulous concept that is even harder to quantify and qualify

[@Bigbird108]

I watch the Oscar’s every year but I think it’s just boring when they go through all the categories that don’t interest me unless it’s the acting categories. Also a lot of movies that are nominated you never hear about.

[@movedmindpoRUSZonyUMYS]

Seeing your face is so positively weird :) Though, on the subject matter: I also like the Oscars show, but I always felt like film awards season shouldn't look the way it looks now. With so many festivals and awards, they ought to celebrate as mamy great films produced in a given year, and not just elevate a few favourites which repetitively get all the prestige. This sickened way of treating film awards as trophies you need to get as many as you can, only hurts the independent, brave art. But that's only my opinion. I was over the moon to see Joaquin Phoenix win an Oscar last year.

[@ScrapNfight]

We're inundated with MEDIA now more than ever. Tic Tok, Instagram, FB, KZbin, Streaming, Social media, gaming, too many award shows has watered down the market. Sadly, Movies aren't viewed as special they way they once were. . Smart TV's have replaced the Cinema.

[@rubymoon9565]

Lol now I know why Eminem didn't bother going to that show

[@yavrielsechelle7431]

I used to work retail at a big box home improvement store. I started on overnights in stocking, and then got moved to days, mostly afternoon to close. The people I worked around during those specific times worked their asses off, and maybe even more so since overnight has to restock all night to get things ready for the day, and the afternoon and night shifts had to deal with a lot of customers in addition to closing duties (which pretty much consisted of more stocking and packing out since the rule was customer service only during peak hours which fell during the mid day) , but there were only a handful of us, because the majority of employees didn't want to stay until close and beyond, citing kids at home, kids' games and meetings at school, husband doesn't like me staying late, and so on. There were various awards for outstanding service given out to us, but they were nomination based. Sometimes a coworker nominated, sometimes a customer did. The majority of those nominations and were always made out to the employees who worked the morning and day shift. Very few during the afternoon and night and almost never during overnight, because management, HR, etc., all left at five-ish, and it was them who pushed the nominations and awards thing. Lots of the awards given were to only a handful of people, because it was friends nominating friends over and over. Not saying the day shift didn't work hard, because they did, but where was the push for awards for evenings and overnight people? They did get much of anything, because no one of any clout was around to see them. They weren't in the day shift cliques, because they were got in by the time the day shift cliques left. Those awards became meaningless to me, and I had no interest in being nominated, getting them, etc., because they were only based on a small group of people congratulating themselves, and I just happened to not be a part of that group.

[@FolhetoGrena]

Most people work 3 jobs and barely see their families. And I'm talking about people in their 20, 30, 40s... Barely making rent. Dead end jobs. Through the day, people distract themselves. All the time. Consuming endless photos and videos in social media, which is now a shopping mall with people dancing stupid choreographies and selling their own image to each other, dubbing movie scenes, playing cover songs or "reacting" to things... 10 second "comedy" videos. Porn. Plus, there is a health crisis like never before and people are dying everywhere at a horrible rate. It has become a third world disease now. People can't live and go to work, to the job they hate because there are no vaccines, so they have no money to pay for food. Then you expect people to put 3 hours down of their life on a award ceremony showing movies most people didn't even watch, not only because cinemas were closed, people didn't have the time or the need to watch those movies, why would you? It's either about some "victim" "oppression" lesson most people ACTUALLY go through or don't even compare to what it is to not have a home, to not know if you'll pay the rent, but hey it's a movie about social issues made by a out of touched millionaires who actually live in a mansions, inside bubbles and will be pretending to understand real problems, and on top that, lecture us, the real people, on how there are problems in society... Yes. We know. You are it. You making a movie about it, makes you money but it doesn't solve the problem. But heeeey, "This is the first {insert lable related to race-gender here} to win the Oscar for..." So now every person from that """"category"""" will have a better life, right? Because millionaire Joe and Sally have their trophy and "got the story out, so dreamers can be dreamers"

[@elasticharmony]

That didn't stop the old time filmmakers, or modern artists they went were ever it took and money was not a question.

[@FolhetoGrena]

@@elasticharmony you clearly missed the point, but then again, by the way you wrote your comment, I'd imagine you can't fully understand English...

[@driziiD]

i actually blame the marketing departments; if they were smart they would be reaching out to people like to advertise new movies...netflix has their modern marketing game tight, all films {cinematic or not} on their platform get eyeballs

[@galliettproductions6475]

I think their can be a healthy balance between blockbuster franchises and indie films and in fact I think both can cross pollinate each other

[@vaughnamir.6457]

me too. you can make movies with blockbuster narratives (good guy, bad guy, etc.) that have serious, realistic indie themes.

[@misterpebbles]

People are rejecting woke celebrity culture and it shows in the Oscars ratings.

[@orpheus9037]

"Woke celebrity culture?" Really, what the fuck is that? And whatever it is, is that so bad compared to the zombies denouncing masks & vaccinations or telling us that Antifa invaded the Capitol or that Trump actually won the election? Woke celebrities make far fewer demands on our patience and tolerance compared to these fucking assholes who we read about everyday in the paper.

[@gijane2cantwaittoseeyou203]

Nothing to do with woke. Even if the oscars where all about mel Gibson or Clint Eastwood types, it would still fail. it,s useless and boring, a circle of friends rewarding each other. More moments like the Will Smith slap would make it somewhat entertaining.

[@nicktheritter]

I think it's mainly cause they won't stream it. Traditional TV is out.

[@elasticharmony]

They have determined by marketing analyst that making a profit from a film is a guaranteed proposition, but the studios are so selfish that if a film doesn't make a first week gross large enough it is pulled.

[@untitled8005]

Oscars decline is the best thing that could happen to cinema. The oscars has turned into politicized, self congratulatory bullshit.

[@AlexThe1Menace]

Been turned? It's literally been that way since day 1

[@untitled8005]

@@AlexThe1Menace Not the political aspects of it. At least not as extreme as they are now

[@AlexThe1Menace]

@@untitled8005 Define extreme

[@reptongeek]

But the thing about the Oscars, they can only vote for what gets shown in the cinemas. So its really cinema that's in decline not the Oscars. But its not only that, its also the craft behind the making of movies that has taken a hit. Since the mid nineties digital processes have taken over the industry to such an extent that we can scarcely call it film making anymore as the majority of winning movies don’t use film at any point during production. And those that do use film only use it as a capture medium only, digital takes over during the editing and finishing I will accept that sometimes they don’t get it right but films have always been a subjective art form anyway and it can be argued that no award ceremony gets it 'right' It's easy to criticise the academy for not voting for Citizen Kane for Best Picture or not voting Selma more nominations but I feel context is important. Citizen Kane was hated on its original release and didn’t get it's GOAT title until much later. And Selma was released literally at the last minute on its qualifying year. For a movie of such importance it would have probably been a good idea to release it earlier so more people could see it

[@epicmusic9029]

I would say it's because of the decline of theatres and the rise of streaming services why non franchise films aren't doing well. But the best movies have never been the best box office movies either. Streaming does not show a measure of success in comparison to box office and most people end up going to theatres mainly for franchise films. But also bad marketing is another factor. Dune managed to do well but the last duel bombed thanks to poor marketing and controversial plot themes.

[@mileslong7572]

So apathy can be a problem too

[@AustralianImage]

It's not just because these self-righteous 'celebrities' take it upon themselves to lecture us and in the same breath do what they tell us not to do, but the movies being made nowadays are doing the same thing. Hollywood can no longer make movies that simply entertain and remain most apolitical, they have to lecture us as well and especially about things that don't resonate or have any real meaning to regular people who used to go to movies to escape from the toils of the real world. It's time their bubble burst.

[@SmellyAlways]

I mean all art reflects on the creators view on the world. No art is apolitical. Apolitical art takes no risks and has no soul. The Oscars are about the art of film making not about mindless entertainment.

[@AustralianImage]

@@SmellyAlways To be honest, the Oscars is mindless entertainment. Good movies can quite reasonably involve politics and social issues etc, but they should not be shoving Hollywood's views about what is correct and what is not onto the viewing public. Movies should present issues, conflicting and otherwise, and let the audience decide what is right or wrong. There is a difference.

[@SmellyAlways]

@@AustralianImage so what are Hollywood's views? Think about how rediculous that is to complain about. Directors writers ect don't have a big meeting to discuss what is the current views of Hollywood. Every film is a reflection on what is happening in the world. Parasite was a critique on capitalism, minari is a film about the American dream, Judas and the black messia is a film about America's history, nomadland about the struggles of poverty. All these films may seem "woke" but all of them are reflections on people's lives experience in the world. I don't get how people get mad or annoyed at people trying to tell stories that means something to them. Every film ever made tells you want the creator think is right or wrong it's not a new procedure. The original star wars trilogy was about the rise of facism. Jurassic park is a commentary on how business will place profit over safety. ET is a film loosely based on immigration. Celebrities are people they have the rights to share there views on topic as much as anyone else. Granted a majority of celebrities share similar world views but that doesn't mean they shouldn't use the platform and influence they have to share their thoughts. It is quite interesting that there aren't many rightwing celebrities but that's a different can of worms.

[@AustralianImage]

@@SmellyAlways Search KZbin for 'Why 99% Of Movies Today Are Garbage - Chris Gore'.

[@elasticharmony]

@@SmellyAlways this is wrong making movies that are mere trops is not happening, non of what you said has any authority. Woke is the new fat old black clown James Bond and other patronizing gimmes, female Thor etc. Liberal mind set is the same guiding directives of state censorship just modified for an American audience.

[@harryfrisch]

Everything everyone seems like the polar opposite of most of these issues and is going to sweep the Oscar’s

[@JakePollard]

I dont have cable. Thats why I didnt watch this year. Live steam it on YT or something

[@HAL-vm3wn]

Without these Awards Studios would see no reason to make low- to midbudget Films at all anymore. And honestly, who could blame them given the Numbers? Funny thing is, when a Movie wins Best Picture and gets re-released, those seats are filled! And every year, when KZbinrs are making Videos the next Day summarising the Shows, those videos get immense hits. So the interest in who wins is still there, but the Broadcast certainly not

[@taylormj96]

There no more centralized viewing experience anymore streaming has destroyed that. so everybody has their own idea of what should win an Oscar/award based on the type of movies and media that they watch

[@ghw7192]

Rich and famous people giving awards to other rich and famous people! How exciting!

[@andrewsalmon100]

I dont know. When we watch 4 screens for about 6 hours each day the content gets spread thin and analysed. That leads to defined tastes and viewing habits. Why wait for the Oscars? I miss the accessible show business razzle dazzle.

[@pecny]

Astute. Perhaps Scorsese is right and everything is just so much content because you can get it as you want it and pay for it. There's also this: if you are on an oil drilling platform that is ablaze or aboard a burning tanker that's about to run aground, you're not thinking for a sec about who's wearing what at the Oscars. At best under such circumstances, you're a little distracted.

[@cambodianz]

The academy has made it clear they're going out of their way not to support artistic merit or achievement. Feel however you want to feel about the sincerity of their past commitment to championing art, the oscars were originally created to justify the excesses of Hollywood culture during early stages of the great depression by way of awarding virtuous films about "important" topics. Maybe they're still playing this game, but it's gotten remarkably more shallow and meaningless over the years. It's now explicitly selecting the most superficial "diversity" criteria as a substitute for quality. Any institution that is reduced to cater to such shallow ends has no claim to authority or calling itself an academy of anything and is deserving of all the backlash and abandonment it's currently receiving. I love film, I love art and I have zero patience for the nonsense being paraded by these morons.

[@dianecourtney2724]

Perhaps they should SHUT UP and stop trying to push their ridiculous political thoughts on the audience.

[@scottherf]

Agreed.

[@mr.shyryhud1659]

This year seemed especially annoying with so many people lecturing in their speeches.

[@mariogiresi6792]

Great video along with excellent points so anything I text will be redundant. The best this or the best that is all subjective as we know. But I will say, to my mind, two factors have ruined Hollywood. Digital technology is a wonderful tool and some of the greatest images we’ve seen could not be done without it. Unfortunately I feel the art of storytelling (and writing and acting) has taken a backseat to it. The second factor-Wokeness. Why must every aspect of our lives be tinged by it? We watch sports and movies to get away from it, but the powers that be just refuse to let us escape for a few hours and let’s us clear our heads of it. Ok, I’m finished 😊

[@groofay]

It's nothing more than a shifting of media, such as why radio dramas eventually resurfaced in podcasts, and silent film is virtually non-existent. And with companies like Disney actively stealing view-time from other, more "prestige" films (and yes, the audience is also to blame for unthinkingly buying into it), those companies will have a vast majority of the budget to make more superhero/popcorn flicks. It's a capitalistic race to oblivion, which is why the Oscars are largely pointless and independent forms of media (KZbin, podcasting, et al) are largely replacing film as a medium.

[@inmusic-cf6ku]

It sad that Everything Everywhere All At Once had to win best picture because it had all the diversity quota it had to fill to win. It was entertaining but not best picture. My pick would have been The Fableman or All Quiet On the Western Front.

[@00HoODBoy]

i have seen, read, heard different sides of the argument/discussion over the last weeks and my conclusion is: fuck em

[@pdzombie1906]

Well, just let Mubi pick the nominees then...

[@SamSung-nf6tr]

I haven't watched one marvel film. Not one. It would be nice to see a good movie.

[@outdoorminer5533]

It's sad that when the Oscars begin to give awards to worthy international or indie movies, viewership goes down. And it's not mere tokenism. Parasite was a great movie. The Handmaiden was a superb movie that if, had been made this or last year, it would've taken an Oscar. Nomadland deserved the awards it got. I for one am glad that Hollywood's obsession with superheroes and romcoms is giving a stage to really good movies to be presented at the Oscars. "International film" is too narrow a category for all the great films that deserve the honor. I prefer that to them awarding movies like Crash or Shakespeare in Love the best movie award.

[@elasticharmony]

Really Hollywood has yielded to indie? No it has swallowed it up and taken it in as a subsidiary. No their patronizing is the same academic BS that Picasso rejected.

[@outdoorminer5533]

@@elasticharmony Picasso? Picasso was an asshole.

[@outdoorminer5533]

@@elasticharmony Also, Nomadland was a great movie.

[@DorianBlackberg]

idk, is art about entertainment?

[@uncomfortablecat]

I don't care about the Oscar. But i think viewership is just based on the nomination. If popular fiilms are nominated, then people might watch it.

[@mrrodriguezHLP]

It's very simple: The Oscars are boring. All this complaint that celebrities are too woke and out-of-touch is BS because they've always been that way. The Oscars are as entertaining as a college graduation where they name all 5000 undergraduates coming to the stage. The only good thing they do, is key me in on nominees I can go back and watch, in case I missed them.

[@SonofAGunFrom410]

I love film and I never got why people give a single shit about these award shows. Who wants to see a bunch of millionaires pat themselves on the back?

[@MonkeyspankO]

Films used to be special. I'm worried they're not anymore...at least not mainstream. Its tough to compete with streaming. Seems like movie buffs are turning into a niche thing

[@LayilaFaon]

I really love Anthony

[@joker_film_tributes]

Politics are killing cinema

[@vestenvanis]

what if the Oscars were every 10 years so we could choose the best films of the decade? Maybe that'd make it less "trendy"

[@kiaandavids755]

that would 100% percent destroy the oscars. Literally no one would care about the oscars whatsoever.

[@SenhorKoringa]

An idea so crazy and stupid it just might work.

[@romanxxxxyoutube]

Nah best of the year is easier could it'd be too hard too choose as there would be too many

[@jyanasensei]

I don't think it necessarily is a bad thing. It won't affect big-budget movies because those were always snubbed regardless of quality (LOTR being a notable exception). I will be bad for movies often termed 'oscar bait', i.e., the films that rely on a nomination for wider distribution. I don't see this as a big problem. There are so many other ways for movies to get distribution these days that securing an Oscar nomination as a means to a wider theatrical release just isn't that important. Smaller movies can be released on streaming services. I also imagine the theatre business will be slightly 're-engineered' following the pandemic. This will also be good for foreign cinema which has been largely ignored at the Oscars until only very recently. Hopefully, less 'American-centric' awards shows can rise up and take Oscar's place. I'd be happy to see smaller awards shows that cater to more targeted audiences. The Oscars has been trying to please everyone for a while now and it hasn't worked. Good riddance! Can't wait to see what will take its place.

[@HAL-vm3wn]

Good luck getting you're midbudget-movie greenlit by telling the Studio it will only be watched on Streaming Services where they themselves are Not really making money from. Netflix (as an example) would give them a certain paiment for the Film, and the Studio would get that and Not a penny more, even if it should really struck a nerve and every human being in the Western World ends up watching it

[@maryannemelenka9250]

It’s not the same anymore, glamour, movie star charisma, etiquette, legendary veteran actors. They acted like gracious adults with humor, I think Vanessa Redgrave was one of first to do political speeches. And went downhill from there, but that night Writer Paddy Chavesky chastised Vanessa good for him. The actors today are generic use entertainment to cry injustice yeah like homeless moved. Movies today are too dark, need some laughs again. And not dirty juvenile humor. I watch classic movies. I understand these people work hard and do deserve an award of merit, but it’s for e ntertainmwnta, you wonder why these mass shootings violence always put in our heads. Get away from that. An Oscar winner does not make you greatest actress on earth even with 3 Francis just played unglamorous 3 times, not a stretch! She’s good. But s does not play diverse roles like Merly Streep. Have Oscars privately now or a new re any political speech cut off music starts take Oscar and get off. Thera just isn’t any more Hollywood any more, they have all gone. This generation just does not. Cut it . And not racial issues oscars have been sinking for years

[@dshoec]

I am a gamer. Any free time I have is spent gaming.

[@Angie_suv]

I just subscribed and you are telling me the return of the king isn’t your favorite? You are getting blocked! (Jk but still)

[@gordonhogan]

the Oscars is dominated by fear these days(or maybe they always were in some way?!) These days they are so afraid of the under 25 year olds and the cyber revenge they will unleash if the right film that suits this years( or months or even weeks) trending wave of pseudo-sympathy is not selected (very broad i know). But also the pseudo-sympathy and fake concern that comes from celebs is just cringe worthy at this stage.

[@thewhitewolf58]

I just want them to make good dramas. Love the mcu but at the same time do like good dramas.

[@lorenzodhernandes]

It’s hard to care about the oscars when it’s such a dumb ceremony. The general interest comes from pure drama.

[@DubiousConsumption]

Honestly, you lost me when you used Piers Morgan as a legitimate argument. His "woke" blaming is pure pandering. It's hard to care about the Oscars when they disregard entire genres because they're seen as inferior in their eyes. I still marvel that Psychological Thriller didn't exist until Silence of the Lambs' win, because they refused to call it Horror.

[@TheDiscardedImage]

I mean, it was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek. I'm more than aware Piers is a blowhard.

[@bernae1902]

Nope.

[@scottd2910]

I think we are all a little tired of politics being dragged into everything and we certainly don't want to be preached to by a bunch of overpaid and uneducated hypocrites. Especially at a event put on to honor who is the best a playing pretend in front of a camera for millions of dollars. That's not entertaining to me and apparently a lot of other people feel the same way I do based on these ratings.

[@sayitwithhellhounds]

Something Wild is a goddamn great movie. Fuck the Oscars.

[@RevJ7]

Saying people don't care about the movies at the oscars and the oscars themselves are two different things that aren't connected. I stopped watching the year Gyllenhaal wasn't nominated for Nightcrawler. I never will again. It's a joke. They have bad takes, that's why the numbers are lower, but I still care about the films mentioned there. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

[@Rondogz]

bring back ricky gervais to host every oscars! = easy solution 😂

[@nope5657]

Is that, tho? I haven't cared about the Oscars in over a decade (I can't even recall the last show I watch tbh) - even if I enjoy many of the films nominated. It's an outdated fapfest by the Hollywood Elite. Fuck it.

[@OitaOscar]

I don't understand why there was never an Oscar for Best Comedic Performance. Jerry Lewis would have won half a dozen. Woody Allen would have added more to his huge collection of Oscar nominations. Eddie Murphy would have won a few. Jim Carrey would have won a couple. And overall we would have had better comedy.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

Exactly, makes the comedians who can transition to drama the only ones capable of winning it. And it's insane with the immense amount of comedy geniuses in the USA, that not a single one can win for their comedy. Plus Comedy movies would never get a Best Actor nomination. Honestly everything in the Oscars is so broken so who cares, all these categories, all the winners, it's all a rich loonie's jerk off, fuck it lol.

[@scottherf]

I used to wonder that when the golden globes have comedy/musical. Oscars, nothing.

[@driziiD]

ive been a film buff for a while now, and i've never bothered to watch the oscars...i always just look for blog post that summarizes it

[@DVincentW]

Nomadland was excellent.. however unless you have been impacted by the destruction of the economy, it could be hard to relate to how it really is to barely survive, after losing everything you earned.

[@kidwithaphonecamera]

100% agree

[@DVincentW]

@@kidwithaphonecamera take care out there.

[@SomethingSomethingg]

As a cinema lover, it's very disappointing to see what they've become. I used to love watching Billy, Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg come out and gently make fun of but nonetheless celebrate the nominees and celebrate cinema. Now it seems more about virtue signaling and cringy political speeches.

[@CelineNoyce]

It is a few things 1. Rebellion Against Woke... normal people are sick of it, 2. Awards shows saturated the market... in the past there was just the Oscars, now there are about 5 award shows... it is a bit much and 3. The movies aren't good. What is that song about Turn, Turn, Turn.... the Oscars need to go back to being a non televised industry affair. No one cares anymore.

[@Cejafer]

Let's dig the streets and start all of us to sow. Better.

[@theendoftheline]

I was wondering if there were more bad takes on this channel...