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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1464866
the judgment of other people, because if you accept it when they say you deserve an award, then you have to accept it when they say you don't." Don’t think the awards events around the globe aren’t an increasing cliché recognition affair? Take this year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner … Titane. It gets right to it with a woman making out in a car. Ooppss we’re wrong, it’s about a woman making out with a car. It was wildly acclaimed by fellow film production judges but creative for something other than shock value for an average moviegoer. Now we’re no prude, but we’re sorta glad we missed seeing it in a theater and can’t wait to miss it when it shows up on one of our streaming services. In our increasingly polarized world and industry, we’re certain there are and will be again others who reject the popularity contests. Of course, this year’s Academy Awards party is already being called a shambles and it hasn’t even been held yet. Co-host Amy Schumer came up with this silly idea of inviting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appear (Zoom or pre-recorded, of course) but the Academy blew off the suggestion because … well, because. It was probably because he isn’t “in the trade”? Sorry, he is a former actor/comedian and probably still has his Guild card somewhere in the rubble. How about he’s a politician? Well yes, and he’s also one of the most widely known, inspirational and respected international figures in the world today. In fact, the Academy has had a history of having politicians front and center – Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, Ronald Reagan in 1981, Laura Bush in 2002, Michelle Obama in 2013. But as Benjamin Svetkey said in his Wrap article on the rejection, “There’s one thing you can always count on from the folks who put on the Oscars — they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” You might rationalize by saying it would be in bad taste and everyone knows it’s all about A-Listers and being seen. Now that might be a problem. The biggest night for Hollywood, the Academy Awards, have usually been shown on TV with a lot of pre-show hype. The problem is a lot like movie theater ticket sales … viewership has dropped since 2015 dipping to a record low of 9M+ last year. And the Oscars aren’t unique. The Emmys, Grammys and all of the big award ceremonies don’t appeal to today’s appointment TV or anytime, anyplace, any screen viewer. Especially the key audience advertisers want to reach--adults 18-49. Any pay TV or streaming executive that saw the numbers drop like that on one of their shows would drop it in a heartbeat. In an attempt to save their day/time slot on TV, the Academy is fighting (internally) to award and pre-record Oscars for film editing, doc shorts, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, sound and edit, drop it into a tighter live broadcast.