And the Oscars have never been particularly political.Speeches that deviate from the ubiquitous laundry list of thank yous always get more attention, whether they’re political or not, for the simple reason that they’re so dang unusual. But taken as a whole, either by decade or particular telecast, the Oscars is mostly, and consistently, apolitical. As in, almost every minute of a three-hour-plus show, year after year after year.
Right, the guy who won for best sound editing didn't get political but the spotlight winners like Leonardo DiCaprio needed to lecture us on environmentalism before jumping on his private jet.
Here's the NY Times back in 2018 reminding us what happens when these Hollywood phonies start waving a finger in our faces:
Whether viewers of the Oscars want to listen to the resistance is another matter. Producers who specialize in awards telecasts have said that post-show research, compiled mainly from Nielsen, indicates that most viewers dislike it when celebrities turn a trip to the stage into a political bully pulpit. One recent producer of the Oscars said that minute-by-minute post-show ratings analysis indicated that “vast swaths” of people turned off their televisions when celebrities started to opine on politics. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential metrics.
Not only are these political outbursts performative, they're tired. We're a full decade into this Trump temper-tantrum. Give it a rest, already.
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