If it weren’t for the
inherent incestuousness
of the entertainment
world, there would be
much less moaning about
the Academy Awards.
Various Oscars will be
handed out tonight (CTV,
ABC) to movies
and people
that nobody
has heard of,
according to the
most popular
whine of the day.
But whether the
folks winning
Academy
Awards are
bigtime celebs is
not supposed to
matter one lick.
Theoretically, the
Academy Awards are
mandated to honour
good work, rather than
mimicking popularity
polls or parroting the
weekly box-office stats.
The voters may be out
of touch with public taste,
but if public taste is what
matters most, does that
really mean you want Paul
Blart: Mall Cop to sweep
the Oscars next year?
The complication, of
course, is that the Academy
Awards ceremony isn’t
just meant to honour
good work. It’s also a TV
show. Ah, there’s the rub.
The film industry needs
the Academy
Awards to
attract big TV
ratings. The
exposure helps
fuel ticket sales
for movies,
and DVD sales,
etc. Hence the
concern that
for the second
year in a row, a
series of buzz-
challenged
flicks are being highlighted.
Last year’s Oscars
attracted an average of
4.4 million viewers in
English Canada, which was
fine. But comparatively
speaking, the ratings for
the 2008 Oscars took a
massive dip in the United
States, with a disappointing
average of 32 million
Americans, representing
a 20% drop from 2007.
People always over-
analyze the performance
of the host (this year Hugh
Jackman has volunteered
for crucifixion). But maybe
in a world with trashy
TV shows and countless
websites having joined
the gossip mags in blanket
coverage of celebrities,
seeing Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie at the Oscars
just isn’t that big a thrill
any more, because we
see them all the time.
This doesn’t mean we’re
trying to talk you out of
watching the Academy
Awards. But if your mind is
of the wandering kind, here
are a few options tonight:
The Barbara Walters
Special: 28th Annual Oscar
Edition (Global, ABC).
It’s like watching the
Oscars before the Oscars,
as this year’s guests include
Jackman and nominees
Anne Hathaway and
Mickey Rourke. Also in
Barbara’s crosshairs are
the Jonas Brothers, who
we have nothing against,
but who we’ve seen
EVERYWHERE lately.
Less is more, cute dudes.
100 Most Outrageous
Moments 2 (NBC).
This merely is a series of
bizarre clips, plucked from
viewer submissions and TV
bloopers. In other words,
“We aren’t going to waste
anything good against the
Oscars, so we’ll just throw
the kitchen sink at it.”
Damages (Showcase).
Getting to watch Glenn
Close, William Hurt and
Rose Byrne every week
is far better than any
movie we’ve seen lately.
Flight of the Conchords
(HBO Canada).
Bret and Jemaine
both fall for a woman
whose missing dog has
epilepsy. Gee, replace
Bret and Jemaine with
Vince Vaughn and one
of them Wilson brothers,
make the woman Jennifer
Aniston, and bingo, we’ve
got ourselves a rom-com!
