(Photo Credit to Engin Akyurt)
Nerds can definitely celebrate the Oscar success of “Dune’s impressive wins at this year’s Academy Awards. The film swept the awards with six wins and they were well-deserved. Yet was is really on my mind is how many people watched it? How many nerds watched it? The viewership has been in a deep decline for years, and last night was only a small rebound coming in at 15 million. What is behind this loss of interest in a tradition that dates back to 1929?
Today’s Oscars seem to have a different feel from its past. Gone are the days of one host commanding and entertaining the show. Remember Bob Hope and Billy Crystal? The hosts last night did a nice job, however, the jokes and the skits just weren’t the same. Am I simply living in the past? Should I lower or at least alter my expectations? And of course, I’m not referring to ceremonies during the pandemic when the show’s producers did the best that they could under the circumstances.
According to The Independent, the top five hosts have been Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jon Stewart. Do you agree? Who was your favorite host?
Troy Kotsur ha ganado como Mejor Actor de Reparto gracias a su rol en CODA. Es el primer hombre sordo de toda la historia en ganar un #Oscar.
Se suma asà a su compañera de reparto Marlee Matlin, quien es la unica mujer sorda en ganar el Oscar a la Mejor Actriz (1987). #Oscars pic.twitter.com/BRH572inho
— [Carla] (@shannonlada) March 28, 2022
Breaking News: The Academy Awards condemned Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars, and said it was starting a formal review. https://t.co/6aScKYoGan
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 28, 2022
Certainly, the Will Smith incident caused a stir and I’ll admit, it boosted my attention sky high. I couldn’t help but join in with much of the rest of the world in search of raw footage and crazy memes. Yet it didn’t take me long to return to focus to what was truly important: The celebration of the winners and the nominees. I feel that Smith absolutely deserved to win Best Actor for his amazing performance in “King Richard.” I soaked up the emotions when Troy Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor and “CODA” picked up Best Picture. It shot me straight back to 1987 when Marlee Matlin earned her Best Actress statue. I revel in the truly personal and un-rehearsed speeches of winners who weren’t expecting to win.
OH, and of course, there is the fashion. The Red Carpet is still one of the most important parts of the event. Did anyone else think Kristen Stewart and Timothée Chalamet nailed the edgy creativity? The drama and the glamour will always going to be a part of the Oscars. 
The musical performances were impressive, as always. I can count on being entertained by all of the beautiful songs nominated every year. BeyonceÄ› opened the show with a stunning performance, and of course, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas brought the whole Bond feel to the Dolby Theater. Welcome back to normal!
Don’t get me wrong. I personally love the Oscars and have been attending Oscar parties since I was 23. When I was ten, I practiced my acceptance speech for Best Screenplay. What? A kid can dream. There will always be differences in opinions and wrongs that need to be made right. My opinion is that the Academy appears to be learning from its past mistakes and is finding some much-needed diversity and open-mindedness. Sometimes progress takes a little while. Yet the fact is that fewer people are watching the Oscars and there are a variety of reasons for it. I miss the glory days of the Oscars. Maybe I’m just living in the past.
Nerd Alert News would love to hear your opinion on this and any other year’s Oscar ceremony. Please comment away!
Written by Colleen Bement
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Totally agree on the hankering for the “good old Oscar days”. Billy Crystal all the way!
It’s so nice to know that there’s someone out there that feels the same way.