The upcoming 94th Academy Awards are set to be hosted by a trio of women as Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall have reportedly been tapped to handle the annual Oscars ceremony, which has been without a host for the past two years.
However, it’s unclear whether the announcement will bring back any attention to the awards as the Oscars viewership continues to plummet, having reportedly dropped over 58% in April 2021 compared to the previous year. Additionally, according to a report by Deadline, viewership among the 18-49 demographic saw a particularly sharp drop of some 64%.
While this year’s awards are certainly trying to win back some attention, going so far as adding a ‘fan favorite’ prize category, which will be determined by votes cast by Twitter users, some actors are beginning to admit that regular people have simply lost interest in the Academy Awards.
Seth Rogen, who has recently been at the center of fan backlash for his insulting ‘Santa Inc.’ series, has stated in a recent interview that regular people “just don’t care anymore” about what awards the industry gives itself.
“I don’t get why people care so much if other people care what awards we give ourselves,” said Rogen when asked if hosting the event was still worth it.
“To me, maybe people just don’t care. I don’t care who wins the automobile awards. No other industry expects everyone to care about what awards they shower upon themselves.”
Rogen added that “Maybe people just don’t care. Maybe they did for a while and they stopped caring, and why should they?” he concluded.
American awards ceremonies such as the Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes have all been experiencing a sharp decline in both quality and viewership over the past few years. Many attribute this to the shows becoming little more than platforms for activist actors to deliver their political messages.
The issue was particularly highlighted by comedian Ricky Gervais, who hosted the 2020 Golden Globes awards. He called out “woke” Hollywood celebrities and corporations for being some of the most privileged people in the world while lecturing viewers on recycling despite traveling around in limos and private jets themselves.
The 94th Oscars will take place on March 27 at the Dolby Theater in LA.