Seth Rogen is baffled by Hollywood’s need to have people care about the Academy Awards. Rogen, speaking to Insider to promote his new Super Bowl commercial with Paul Rudd, came to the conclusion that “maybe people just don’t care” about the Oscars anymore, and Hollywood should stop making it a priority to ensure they do.
“I don’t get why movie people care so much if other people care what awards we give ourselves,” Rogen said. “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. Maybe people just don’t care. Maybe they did for a while and they stopped caring. And why should they?”
Television ratings for the Oscars have dwindled over the years. Last year’s broadcast, in which Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” took home the Oscar for best picture and best director, generated only 9.23 million viewers, a 51% drop from the 18.69 million who watched the Academy Awards in 2020. The Academy changed course for 2022 by returning to a set list of 10 best picture nominees, hoping it might open the door for more popular films to compete for the top prize. No such result happened, as films such as “No Time to Die” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were left out of the best picture category.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences needs the Oscars telecast as a revenue source, and higher viewership means pricier ad space. The 2020 Oscars, which saw Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” make history in the best picture race for instance, brought in $131.9 million for the Academy.
This year’s Oscars will aim to increase viewership by bringing in a host for the first time since the 2018 show, which was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. While “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was left out of the best picture race, the night’s top category does include nominees such as blockbuster “Dune” ($400 million worldwide) and Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up,” which is one of the streamer’s most-watched original films ever.
The 2022 Oscars are set to take place Sunday, March 27.
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