The Oscars are once again the center of a controversial discussion, as they usually are when awards season hits. This Oscars season in particular has been dicey, with many arguing about the value of some movies over others, and a lot of Marvel fans arguing that the Academy doesn't recognize the kinds of movies that people in the general public actually liked and went to see (like Spider-Man: No Way Home). It seems as though these points of discussion, and perhaps the Oscars dip in viewership in general, caused them to introduce a new element of the show that will allow for some viewer interaction.

In this collaboration with Twitter, in the weeks leading up to the broadcast, viewers will be able to vote for their favorite movie of the year using the hashtag #OscarsFanFavorite. The film that gets the most cumulative votes will be recognized during the show, and three of the Twitter users who voted for this film will be given a trip to Los Angeles to present at the 2023 ceremony. It's important to note that this movie is not given an actual award or anything, just a moment of recognition. This seems like a strange direction for the Oscars to be taking, which begs the question: is this a useful marketing strategy or a very desperate attempt at holding onto relevancy?

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It's no secret that the Oscars have been experiencing lower ratings in recent years, and it seems as though the Fan Favorite vote is their way of trying to involve people who don't normally watch the Oscars. Sure, maybe a lot of people haven't seen 90% of the movies nominated for Best Picture, but if they still get the opportunity to make their voices heard about which movie they liked the best during the year, they'll be more likely to tune into the broadcast. That does sound like a bit of a leap of logic, because people who don't like the Oscars probably won't tune into the hours-long show just for one mention of a movie they enjoyed, but perhaps the marketing team was more hopeful when they pitched this idea.

spiderman no way home oscars

The main problem with the Fan Favorite vote is that it's so transparently an attempt to stay relevant in a media landscape that's less and less favorable towards prestige awards, and it's a very weak attempt at trying to make themselves popular again. There's nothing wrong with the Oscars wanting to up their viewership again, and it's not necessarily a good thing that the show is going out of fashion, but the Fan Favorite vote is attempting to pander to the wrong crowd.

The Oscars are primarily a celebration for people who love film. Anyone who doesn't watch a lot of movies isn't going to be very entertained by or interested in the broadcast, and that's fine - it's not supposed to be catering to them in the first place. The Oscars may be experiencing a dip in viewership, but they're still being watched and talked about by millions of people, and the show is a huge part of the cultural conversation for months before and after the official broadcast. It's not like they're completely becoming irrelevant, so why are they acting like that's the case?

If they want to keep engagement up, they should be catering to the people who are already fans of the Oscars: film lovers. They should treat the Oscars like a true celebration of film and pander to those who really love movies. That in itself shouldn't be pretentious; people who love movies should love all types of movies, not just prestige dramas. The Oscars could perhaps do better to reflect that, but the point of the show is to celebrate the movies that didn't get as much popular recognition as the franchise blockbusters that were released throughout the year. That being said there are still movies nominated for Best Picture this year that were a big part of the cultural conversation, like Dune and West Side Story, so it's not as though the Oscars are ignoring that. It's also a way to celebrate artistic achievement in film, not just to recognize which movie made the most billions at the box office.

The America number in the West Side Story remake

Whenever the Oscars attempt to pander to a wider audience, they just end up doing bits or trying to force memes in an effort to go viral, which just ends up feeling inauthentic and makes everyone, from casual viewers to actual lovers of the show, roll their eyes. There are a lot of explanations as to why ratings have dropped, probably mainly because live TV isn't as exciting as it used to be, or because a lot of people have switched to using streaming services exclusively and have no way of watching the show. The Oscars are still the most-watched awards show out of all of them, and the people who want to watch the show will still show up in droves to tune in, even if the Marvel fans aren't watching.

People who truly enjoy the Oscars have been begging for things like a Best Stunts category for years, which would not only give recognition to the very important work of stunt people, but it might also bring recognition to those franchise movies that certain people want the Oscars to nominate. But instead of taking a logical step like that, the Oscars wants to have a People's Choice category that isn't even a real award. Instead of going for broad appeal, why not do things like stream the show on a popular streaming service so that it's more accessible? People who love the Oscars watch it because they love movies and movie stars, and the Oscars would be wise to consult those people about how they can improve the broadcast rather than trying to appeal to people who aren't going to watch the show anyway.

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