…is mostly the fact that people don’t really care about movies the way they used to. But there are other general factors, including the obvious fact that films just aren’t as good anymore. Yes, there are individual good movies, but the percentage of crap is way up. There are a lot more award shows now. There’s the monumental self-satisfaction and smarminess on display. The annual gross hypocracy of spending all year saying that movies are only entertainment and can’t negatively effect the culture on issues of sex and violence, followed by the yearly Oscar preening on How Films Have Educated and Uplifted Society. (Cue stock To Kill a Mockingbird, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Philadelphia and Gentleman’s Agreement clips.) Etc.
However, as a wacky right-winger, I couldn’t help but notice something about recent articles in both Entertainment Weekly and Variety about how to get more people to watch the Oscars again: Neither mentions the obvious fact that presumably tens of millions of potential viewers are just sick and tired of seeing celebrities lecture and insult us because of our politics. Watching a bunch of deca and centimillionaires pat themselves on the back all night is one thing, but hearing a bunch of idiot savants (except that many aren’t savants) blather on about World Issues has–and I know this is an amazing assertion–very little to do with the movies. So just drink a big glass of shut up juice and stay on topic. And yes, I’m looking at you, Julie Christie.
Or keep doing what you’re doing. It’s no skin off my nose. But don’t be surprised then when the ratings keep on falling. And falling. And falling…
