For the past 28 years, I, like every other critic and movie fan, have made predictions about who and what will win on Oscar night. My slugging percentage is around 80 percent, which is good, but it’s not due to my being smarter than anyone else; rather, it’s having a better understanding that these awards are rarely bestowed for merit. They are bestowed instead for industry politics, and for rewarding studio-fueled, blitzkrieg marketing campaigns.
Once the most-viewed nonsports TV show of any year, the ratings for the Oscars—presented by the Academy (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)—have steadily declined. This is due in part to the oversaturation of award shows in general, but it’s mostly because of the political soapboxing of frequent host Jimmy Kimmel (returning for the third time in five years) and the winners using their 30-second acceptance speeches to insult half of the viewing audience.
