Are The Oscars Still Relevant?

It’s almost time for the 84^th Academy Awards. On February 26^th, actors, actresses, directors, producers, writers and everyone else in the business come together to celebrate and award this year’s cinematic achievements. But what was once the most anticipated award ceremony of a year now seems to be somewhat irrelevant.

Close But No Cigar

Last year’s Oscars disappointed many people. For starters, Hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s lackluster performance was described as a “mismatched affair”, the opposite of the previous year’s dynamic duo (Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin).

A poll conducted by Fox News showed a significant drop in viewers, ranking it as the worst Academy Awards ever. In addition to the drop in viewers, American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 37.90 million people over its length, a 10% decrease from previous years. There was also a 12% drop in ratings and Nielson ratings were lower than the 2 previous ceremonies.

Silver Lining

This year’s Academy Awards were off to a rough start when original host Eddie Murphy stepped down and Billy Crystal took his place, making this year his 9^th time hosting the awards. But hope is not lost. The impressive list of presenters just might be enough to improve this year’s ratings. Here is the list of presenters:

• Tom Cruise
• Penelope Cruz
• Cameron Diaz
• Tom Hanks
• Halle Berry
• Bradley Cooper
• Angelina Jolie
• Milla Jovovich
• Jennifer Lopez
• Natalie Portman
• Chris Rock
• Ben Stiller
• Emma Stone
• Bridesmaids cast

The Artist, Midnight In Paris, War Horse and More…

No one can say that 2011 wasn’t a big year for motion pictures; the nominees for Best Picture are all extraordinary, to say the least. Not to say that 2010 didn’t have excellent movies, but some might suggest that the current year’s selection is more impressive. This year’s Best Picture nominees are:

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Although the ratings for the Academy Awards are dropping every year, it’ll be a while (if ever) before they become completely obsolete. The Oscars is still an important part of pop culture and our society, and will continue to be for years to come.

Get Ready For It.. if you’re Watching It!