Oscar viewership down substantially

[Westside Steve]

I'm really not surprised, well maybe a little, but according to Forbes magazine the Academy Awards ratings dropped 16% over last year. I do think they are way too long, or more specifically way too uneventful. You get one award you might have heard of and then wait 3 hours for anything else. Also the two top contenders Birdman and boy hood weren't exactly fan favorites. Hell I had to drive to Valley View from akron to see birdman. The only place in the area one could see whiplash was Kent. And boyhood was a boring son of a bitch. And let's not forget Neil Patrick Harris. I've got nothing against the guy at all but an a-list star? Please. The homosexuals are all going to watch anyway. Get some shmuck that strikes a chord with the great unwashed. I thought the Lady gaga spot was a great idea, but they need more like that if they want people to tune in.

 

Any thoughts?

WSS

[Axe]

I didn't watch.. I spent the time reading "American Sniper" until I nodded off..

[The Gipper]

I'm really not surprised, well maybe a little, but according to Forbes magazine the Academy Awards ratings dropped 16% over last year. I do think they are way too long, or more specifically way too uneventful. You get one award you might have heard of and then wait 3 hours for anything else. Also the two top contenders Birdman and boy hood weren't exactly fan favorites. Hell I had to drive to Valley View from akron to see birdman. The only place in the area one could see whiplash was Kent. And boyhood was a boring son of a bitch. And let's not forget Neil Patrick Harris. I've got nothing against the guy at all but an a-list star? Please. The homosexuals are all going to watch anyway. Get some shmuck that strikes a chord with the great unwashed. I thought the Lady gaga spot was a great idea, but they need more like that if they want people to tune in.

 

Any thoughts?

WSS

Agree all the way around. You had a lackluster group of movies up for best picture. Best Actor nominees weren't what you would call box office stars. This should be the last time Doogie Howser hosts. He was boring and most of his jokes except for a few were bad.

And yea, the Lady Gaga rendition of Sound of Music songs was the highlight of the evening....and evening that lacked highlights.

[The Cysko Kid]

Walking dead is on Sundays so I'd rather watch that than a bunch of self important blowhards giving themselves awards

[DieHardBrownsFan]

They fucked up Walking Dead by having two fags enter the scene. I guess Woody will watch it now.

[The Cysko Kid]

Thats straight from the source material

[Chicopee John]

Agree all the way around. You had a lackluster group of movies up for best picture. Best Actor nominees weren't what you would call box office stars. This should be the last time Doogie Howser hosts. He was boring and most of his jokes except for a few were bad.

 

And yea, the Lady Gaga rendition of Sound of Music songs was the highlight of the evening....and evening that lacked highlights.

I'll take a completely approach and say that the ratings were down - and will continue a downward trend - regardless of movie content.

 

I shy away from Award Shows because I find them............pretentious. Nothing more than members of the same Country Club patting each other on the back and telling each other how fantastic they are.

 

The sole exception, used to be one or two Country Music Award shows, precisely, because the focus was on MUSIC, not more and, certainly, not less. As time went on, I found these shows following the same model, albeit to different members of a different Country Club.

 

I believe the 'statements' being made has made (former) audience members tired and not particularly enamored with the 'Left Leaning' messages being spouted.

 

Who the hell wants to look at Sean Penn, for example, never mind him making statements that serve his own agenda (and the agenda of most members of the live audience).

 

Hollywood has lost touch with 'Centrist Americans' and, despite our interest in 'going to the movies', have no illusions that the actors are anything more than self-centered, pretentious boors. Their political statements just make it worse.

 

Cut the 'bullshit' and the 'Country Club' movie selection process and give it to the people that pay to watch them. Stop the statements and show more movie clips - ANY movie clips - and people will start to watch again.

 

This is a structural problem, IMHO, regardless of movie content.

[The Gipper]

I'll take a completely approach and say that the ratings were down - and will continue a downward trend - regardless of movie content.

 

I shy away from Award Shows because I find them............pretentious. Nothing more than members of the same Country Club patting each other on the back and telling each other how fantastic they are.

 

The sole exception, used to be one or two Country Music Award shows, precisely, because the focus was on MUSIC, not more and, certainly, not less. As time went on, I found these shows following the same model, albeit to different members of a different Country Club.

 

I believe the 'statements' being made has made (former) audience members tired and not particularly enamored with the 'Left Leaning' messages being spouted.

 

Who the hell wants to look at Sean Penn, for example, never mind him making statements that serve his own agenda (and the agenda of most members of the live audience).

 

Hollywood has lost touch with 'Centrist Americans' and, despite our interest in 'going to the movies', have no illusions that the actors are anything more than self-centered, pretentious boors. Their political statements just make it worse.

 

Cut the 'bullshit' and the 'Country Club' movie selection process and give it to the people that pay to watch them. Stop the statements and show more movie clips - ANY movie clips - and people will start to watch again.

 

This is a structural problem, IMHO, regardless of movie content.

I don't think it has anything to do with left or right leaning political commentary. There are no more self-centered pretentious boors than right wing pretentious boors.

Its like football...you have a good QB you have a pretty good shot at a decent team. On the Oscars, you have a good host you have a good show. Doogie (I can't even remember his real name) was the Johnny Manziel of Oscar hosts. Way in over his head.

 

And you have to have had movies people really like......people were meh about this year's choices, except maybe American Sniper.

 

But, I agree with this: only allow "thank you speeches" for the really big awards. Acting, directing, writing, best picture. About 8 categories.

[Chicopee John]

I don't think it has anything to do with left or right leaning political commentary.

 

There are no more self-centered pretentious boors than right wing pretentious boors.

 

 

Its like football...you have a good QB you have a pretty good shot at a decent team. On the Oscars, you have a good host you have a good show. Doogie (I can't even remember his real name) was the Johnny Manziel of Oscar hosts. Way in over his head.

 

And you have to have had movies people really like......people were meh about this year's choices, except maybe American Sniper.

 

But, I agree with this: only allow "thank you speeches" for the really big awards. Acting, directing, writing, best picture. About 8 categories.

Well, Gip, I submitted a hypothesis, not a proclamation of truth. You seem to be more absolute.

 

I've spent a lot of years doing Marketing Research and I do know that one does research to - among other things - prove or disprove a concept (hypothesis).

 

My guess is my position about Hollywood being out of touch with Mainstream America struck a chord due to your political persuasion, nothing to do with reality.

 

I suggest Hollywood and the Networks spend some money to determine why ratings continue to decline. They - IMHO - won't like the results and might just dismiss them. However it is relatively easy to correlate survey questions against a measure and, then, conduct a cluster analysis to determine common trends among those correlations.

 

Then, of course, comes Statistical Significance Analysis.

 

To an earlier point...........my wife IS NOT a Theater or Movie major but she, too, finds the Academy Awards pretensious (not a knock against your wife, of course, but pertaining to an odd comment you made about 'Birdman'.

 

Hollywood = 1/2 of the 1% ers across the country and this, simply, fails to resonate across America.

 

When was the last time people held their breath and tuned into TV to watch a Movie Awards Show? With so much fragmentation of TV, there is more to watch and disconnected people from certain cultural bubbles just lacks gravitas.

 

We do, however, find some common ground RE: the speeches, although I put a lot more emphasis on them detracting from viewer interest than, simply, making people lose a half hour of sleep.

[The Gipper]

Well, Gip, I submitted a hypothesis, not a proclamation of truth. You seem to be more absolute.

 

I've spent a lot of years doing Marketing Research and I do know that one does research to - among other things - prove or disprove a concept (hypothesis).

 

My guess is my position about Hollywood being out of touch with Mainstream America struck a chord due to your political persuasion, nothing to do with reality.

 

Or, maybe your views about things have nothing to do with reality....but everything to do with your political persuasion? I suspect an analysis would show that is true about everything.

 

I suggest Hollywood and the Networks spend some money to determine why ratings continue to decline. They - IMHO - won't like the results and might just dismiss them. However it is relatively easy to correlate survey questions against a measure and, then, conduct a cluster analysis to determine common trends among those correlations.

 

Then, of course, comes Statistical Significance Analysis.

 

To an earlier point...........my wife IS NOT a Theater or Movie major but she, too, finds the Academy Awards pretensious (not a knock against your wife, of course, but pertaining to an odd comment you made about 'Birdman'.

 

Hollywood = 1/2 of the 1% ers across the country and this, simply, fails to resonate across America.

 

99% of 1%ers are Republicans....I didn't know that Hollywood was so dominated by Republicans.

 

When was the last time people held their breath and tuned into TV to watch a Movie Awards Show? With so much fragmentation of TV, there is more to watch and disconnected people from certain cultural bubbles just lacks gravitas.

 

We do, however, find some common ground RE: the speeches, although I put a lot more emphasis on them detracting from viewer interest than, simply, making people lose a half hour of sleep.

Bottom line: people don't watch because these are boring....regardless of any other issue or affiliation.

[Chicopee John]

Bottom line: people don't watch because these are boring....regardless of any other issue or affiliation.

Thank you, Mr. Absolute.

 

Once again, those who rail against lack of diversity and intolerance demonstrate their own monolithic view of the world and intolerance of those who don't share their views.

 

THAT is "Proof of Concept" in my book.

[Westside Steve]

Only one film seemed to have any kind of conservative slant what so ever.

Only one film did a huge box office and only one was harshly criticized by the left.

 

 

Also I would venture a guess that the wealthiest citizens, lawmakers and movie industry big shots are less likely to be GOP supporters.

Especially in tinsel town.

 

Three hours of best foreign animated set design... That's why the numbers drop. 7 out of 8 movies no one has seen... Another reason. Nobody giving a shit about Doogie Howser except Hollywood homosexuals... Yet another reason. Celebrities sneering at the viewing audience with left wing harangues... One more.

 

WSS

[DieHardBrownsFan]

I find HBO series to be better then what they put out at the theaters.

[The Gipper]

Thank you, Mr. Absolute.

 

Once again, those who rail against lack of diversity and intolerance demonstrate their own monolithic view of the world and intolerance of those who don't share their views.

 

THAT is "Proof of Concept" in my book.

What are you talking about? You are the one complaining because someone on that awards show expressed some kind of view that, apparently is contrary to yours.

You are the one that seems to want a monolithic view.....and are not tolerant of those who on that show didn't tow your line.

That is what I am hearing.

Am I completely off base? Are you somehow claiming that a conservative oriented rant would not be tolerated?

I doubt that is true.

 

My view toward those political rants during acceptance speeches is "like, OK, whatever. Can we carry on with the awards".

[The Gipper]

Only one film seemed to have any kind of conservative slant what so ever.

Only one film did a huge box office and only one was harshly criticized by the left.

 

I assume you mean American Sniper.......not having seen it, I can't tell you about any "slant".....but I have totally missed any criticism of it by the "left".

Or, perhaps anyone who criticized the film itself for whatever films are criticized was viewed by those on the right who are hypersensitive as being a "leftist" criticism. If someone said the acting, directing, writing, lighting, sound, makeup, graphics, effects etc. etc. etc. were not up to snuff they took that to be "leftist" criticism.

I guess I need to see the movie.

 

 

Also I would venture a guess that the wealthiest citizens, lawmakers and movie industry big shots are less likely to be GOP supporters.

Especially in tinsel town.

Maybe only in Tinsel town....and maybe not there. Surely you are not trying to assert that the wealthiest class of Americans are not overwhelming Republican.

 

Three hours of best foreign animated set design... That's why the numbers drop. 7 out of 8 movies no one has seen... Another reason. Nobody giving a shit about Doogie Howser except Hollywood homosexuals... Yet another reason. Celebrities sneering at the viewing audience with left wing harangues... One more.

 

Didn't he play a poon hound in that series that just ended? I would have thought that uptight heteros would have been happy to see him in that incarnation?

 

WSS

Bottom line. If the movies were popular...and the show were entertaining, none of that other shit would matter.

(you heard what I said...the movie that won, that you liked I didn't particularly care for.....because it was too much of a Hollywood/Broadway "inside baseball" kind of show.

[Chicopee John]

Am I completely off base?

 

Are you somehow claiming that a conservative oriented rant would not be tolerated?

 

Yes and Yes.

[The Gipper]

I find HBO series to be better then what they put out at the theaters.

To a certain extent, so do I.

[The Gipper]

Yes and Yes.

Like I said, I think I know where the intolerance lies.

[Browns149]

Bottom line: people don't watch because these are boring....regardless of any other issue or affiliation.

I agree.

 

People don't want to watch boring tv.

 

There is WAY better shows on

 

Watching a bunch of people beat their own chests and pat each other on the back, isn't going to cut it anymore

[The Gipper]

Well, I guess it all depends on your audience. I mean, what kind of reception do you think an award recipient would get at the CMAs if they went on a rant about say, equal pay for women, or gay rights or some such. I suspect it would be far less cordial than someone who, at the Oscars, opined an anti-abortion or pro gun stance.

I mean, look at the shit The Dixie Chicks got when they said something unkind about W.

[larryfine]

I'm really not surprised, well maybe a little, but according to Forbes magazine the Academy Awards ratings dropped 16% over last year. I do think they are way too long, or more specifically way too uneventful. You get one award you might have heard of and then wait 3 hours for anything else. Also the two top contenders Birdman and boy hood weren't exactly fan favorites. Hell I had to drive to Valley View from akron to see birdman. The only place in the area one could see whiplash was Kent. And boyhood was a boring son of a bitch. And let's not forget Neil Patrick Harris. I've got nothing against the guy at all but an a-list star? Please. The homosexuals are all going to watch anyway. Get some shmuck that strikes a chord with the great unwashed. I thought the Lady gaga spot was a great idea, but they need more like that if they want people to tune in.

 

How do you know if Mktoxic watched or not?

[Westside Steve]

Gipper

A yes you do but the criticism from the left which was fairly strident came from your buddy Seth Rogen and the increasingly irrelevant Michael Moore who wrote some blather about snipers being cowards.

(I didn't love the movie but it had nothing to do with anti war sentiment)

 

B No I don't think the vast majority of rich people are Republicans. I would assume slightly more nation wide and hugely less in California.

 

C yes Neil Patrick Harris plays a womanizer in How I Met Your Mother. That's been known as a huge inside joke since the series started.

 

D yes I loved Birdman. I loved whiplash. I like the imitation game a lot.

The first two suffered because of limited distribution. I had to make a road trip to see each of them. Also I think its extremely hard to make any three plus hour show interesting especially with commercial breaks. But that format hasn't changed over the years. The 16 percent drop in viewership did.

 

WSS

[The Gipper]

Gipper

A yes you do but the criticism from the left which was fairly strident came from your buddy Seth Rogen and the increasingly irrelevant Michael Moore who wrote some blather about snipers being cowards.

(I didn't love the movie but it had nothing to do with anti war sentiment)

Yes, you know I hate Seth Rogen....and anything he says or thinks is irrelevent. The issue of whether or not people in warfare are cowards goes back to the time when guns were invented....and criticized by sword wielders as a cowards way of conducting warfare. George Patton decried the "automization" of warfare. So I guess Patton and Moore may have been like thinkers.

 

B No I don't think the vast majority of rich people are Republicans. I would assume slightly more nation wide and hugely less in California.

Per Forbes magazine, 56% of the wealthiest families donate exclusively to Republican party candidates/issues. Only 14% contribute solely to Democratic candidates, and 30% hedge their bets and contribute to both. 56% vs. 14% is a pretty vast majority.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiasavchuk/2014/07/09/are-americas-richest-families-republicans-or-democrats/

 

C yes Neil Patrick Harris plays a womanizer in How I Met Your Mother. That's been known as a huge inside joke since the series started.

I know it is a joke....after all, it was supposed to be a comedy. (I however, never found it all that funny....including the inside joke about a gay guy playing a player)

 

D yes I loved Birdman. I loved whiplash. I like the imitation game a lot.

The first two suffered because of limited distribution. I had to make a road trip to see each of them. Also I think its extremely hard to make any three plus hour show interesting especially with commercial breaks. But that format hasn't changed over the years. The 16 percent drop in viewership did.

 

At this point I think I will wait til they are out on video to see Sniper/Whiplash

 

WSS

[Westside Steve]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151310/u.s.-republican-not-conservative.aspx

 

there's the Gallup poll. Your data is skewed a little bit, probably on purpose, because almost no one contributes to the Independent Party. Since there really isn't one.

 

WSS

[The Gipper]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151310/u.s.-republican-not-conservative.aspx

 

there's the Gallup poll. Your data is skewed a little bit, probably on purpose, because almost no one contributes to the Independent Party. Since there really isn't one.

 

WSS

I don't think anyone gave to the "Independent Party"....they gave to both parties.

And it isn't my data, it was Forbes data....you know, that bastion of liberalism

[Chicopee John]

I don't think anyone gave to the "Independent Party"....they gave to both parties.

And it isn't my data, it was Forbes data....you know, that bastion of liberalism

What happened in the last elections, Gip?

 

Right now, the Dems message fails to resonate outside the handful of 'Cultural Bubbles', just like the hard-left (I didn't say Democrats) messages spewed during the Awards Show keeps mainstream America from turning on their TV sets.

 

PS I also believe WSS has a good point about film distribution. Giving awards to movies that nobody has seen appears to be, well, prententious.

 

 

PPS FWIW, I am a registered Democrat.

[Westside Steve]

I don't think anyone gave to the "Independent Party"....they gave to both parties.

And it isn't my data, it was Forbes data....you know, that bastion of liberalism

Except that wasn't a one percent, (those making over 500000.) That was probably the .01 percent.

 

Anyway when you get down to it the Oscars really should be about what the industry feels is the best work and not the biggest seller. That's what you get with the Grammys and the Country Music Awards. If Jay Z or Kanye West Or Luke what's his name sell a billion records they win an award.

 

WSS

[Westside Steve]

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2014

 

There's the box office numbers. I don't know that I could take award show seriously with the top 8 films as contenders.

 

WSS

[The Gipper]

What happened in the last elections, Gip?

 

WTF does that have to do with anything we are talking about?

 

Right now, the Dems message fails to resonate outside the handful of 'Cultural Bubbles', just like the hard-left (I didn't say Democrats) messages spewed during the Awards Show keeps mainstream America from turning on their TV sets.

 

Again..... we were talking about decorum. Lets see a rant about women's rights, abortion rights, gun control, etc. happen at a CMA ceremony and those yeehaws would be foaming at the mouth about it. It happened to the Dixie Chicks....it never happened at an Academy Award.....see where Charlton Heston got his lifetime achievement award. I see where his right wing politics didn't stand in the way of that.

 

PS I also believe WSS has a good point about film distribution. Giving awards to movies that nobody has seen appears to be, well, prententious.

 

I don't know about that....but giving awards to pretentious movies is pretentious.

 

 

PPS FWIW, I am a registered Democrat.

[The Gipper]

Except that wasn't a one percent, (those making over 500000.) That was probably the .01 percent.

 

Anyway when you get down to it the Oscars really should be about what the industry feels is the best work and not the biggest seller. That's what you get with the Grammys and the Country Music Awards. If Jay Z or Kanye West Or Luke what's his name sell a billion records they win an award.

 

WSS

I guess I don't see enough of the Grammys/CMAs to know....or pay attention to what the best sellers are. But I find it hard to believe that the "Best Song" categories just go to the best sellers. If that happens then I guess I am naive.

At least, I don't believe that should happen, any more than the Oscar going to the Best selling movie.