Academy Awards lecturing TED Talk did not impress too many viewers

Brad S. | 5:53 PM on February 10, 2020

It was a rather boring affair last night with the 92nd Academy Awards. They continue to put on the show with no host, nobody approaching the scathing insight of Ricky Gervais, and even the performances were not exactly scintillating. Maybe hearing jabs about John Bolton and getting lectured on the Communist Manifesto are not what audiences crave.

The biggest impact of the night was Eminem making a surprise appearance to perform his song from the movie ”8 Mile” — which was last in theaters 18 years ago…

I endured the entire show last night, as a courtesy to give readers an insight into what they were not watching, and that is not just hyperbole. I mentioned during the opening, an odd musical ensemble that felt like the Tony Awards and not the Oscars, that you could hear the TV remotes clicking across the country. It proved an accurate assessment.

ABC's #Oscars telecast reached all-time lows in the ratings, falling sharply from last year https://t.co/tYtTUAw6zy

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 10, 2020

Rather unfortunate the THR had that pick of Steve Martin and Chris Rock on the headline, as they were one of the scant few bright spots of the night.

The numbers were harsh. More than three million fewer people watched the ceremony, a stark -20% drop in the audience. There was an obvious effort last night to court younger viewers; rap stars, as well as younger performers, were prominently featured throughout the night.

It was all futile. In the advertisers demographic of 18-49-year-olds the drop was -31%. That is just sad.

Not too many people seemed mystified by these results.