Coming into the 2018 Oscars, the Academy and the ABC Network had every reason to believe that this year would be a huge success. After the Best Picture fiasco from 2017, the buzz around the 2018 ceremony was greater than it had been in previous years. Also, on top of last year’s controversy, there was a returning host, Jimmy Kimmel, that’s generally popular, and a list of nominated films that were arguably the strongest in years. So, why did the 2018 Oscars log the worst ratings of any Academy Awards in history?
Last night’s 3+ hour telecast scored an 18.9 Live + Same Day rating in early estimates. While that would be a great rating for many shows on network TV, for the Oscars, this was an all-time low. And not by a little bit, either. The 18.9 rating is down a whopping 16% from last year’s Oscars, which had a 22.4 rating. Wow.
Putting this in perspective, the previous record-holder for lowest Oscars telecast was the 2008 ceremony, hosted by Jon Stewart. That year saw “No Country for Old Men” take home the Best Picture prize. The 2008 Oscars scored a 21.9 rating. So, not only is the 18.9 a low score, but it’s abysmal.
READ MORE: ‘The Shape of Water’ Wins Best Picture & Director: The Full List Of Oscar Winners Here
Ratings for the Oscars, and awards shows in general, have been trending down in recent years, but a decline like this is startling. Last year’s 22.4 rating was already a nine-year low. Falling this rapidly should be cause for alarm, but it might not be all doom and gloom for the Academy just yet.
The Nielsen data, which is where we get the rating, pulls from metered households that watch the telecast over television. What it doesn’t measure is the number of individuals that watch the Oscars over digital means and on mobile devices. So, ABC’s own website offering the telecast live if you login, as well as companies like YouTube TV offering the telecast via their paid-streaming service, there’s no way of knowing truly how many eyeballs actually watched the Oscars.
Overall, the ratings are down, and big time. That’s reason enough to be concerned. However, this is probably a symptom of a larger issue, where most people just aren’t watching TV in the same ways anymore.
Hopefully, ABC will release more stats in the coming days, giving us a better idea of just how many people watched Jimmy Kimmel give away a jet ski.
WHY??? Because Del Toro and TSoW won!!!!!! The average moviegoer doesn’t care about this film. If Dunkirk or Get Out won and Nolan won in Directing you would wave way bigger ratings, cos nobody outisde the cinephile bubble knows or cares about Del Toro. Moviegoers worship Nolan or Tarantino. Deal with it!!!!!!!!ì
No, you would have had the same number of people watching, because they wouldn’t have expected Dunkirk or Get Out to win.
What you’re saying makes no sense.
The winner isn’t announced until the envelope is opened. So the same number of people would have watched wether The Shape of Water won, or Dunkirk or Get Out.
How did this, at any point in the process of formulating this thought, resemble anything coherent and sensible to you. Do you just type the words as they come without any extra thinking added in there or what?
They should give the awards to the film’s they feel were the best. That’s how these ceremonies should work. Not just throw away awards on populist hacks just to chase ratings.
Anyway, I saw all three films you’ve mentioned. The Shape of Water isn’t my favourite of the nominees, but it is better than Dunkirk, IMHO, if not as good as Get Out, Three Billboards…, or Phantom Thread.
Nah, nearly all the BP nominees were miles better than Shape of Water.
simple to me. Jimmy K, what a loser, America hater, and plain old liar. I am sure if people wanted to watch Jimmy K hate on America, they could watch his show. almost too late for cbs, nbc, and abc. America is tired of fake news and fake people like jimmy who wants his paycheck.
keep hating on America, we know who hates Americas and American values.
“we know who hates Americas and American values”
Uh, anyone with a conscience or a soul?
Easy: you want MORE people to watch? STREAM IT FOR FREE! Streaming on ABC including on the US was subject to Geografical restrictions.
Yeah. The author of this is still in as much of denial as your typical Hillary voter. Middle America is tired of Hollywood and it’s politics and hypocrisy. You can say, this is their night and they can say what they want. True. And viewers will simply choose not to watch. You can try to account for it by streaming all you want. Same thing happened to the NFL and Super Bowl this year. Most Americans want politics out of the entertainment. Plain and simple.
white men and their shittiness are not some default norm objective blank slate and any deviation from that isn’t suddenly Ideology and Politics and Subjectivity, you just think that because you have all the social consciousness of a potato
Ratings are at their lowest. #trump #winning
Found trumps disqus account
Where did circusfolk say anything about white men?
Stop projecting. Most of the people controlling the strings in Hollywood and who can and can’t say what are still white men. Unfortunately, it seems you’re still drinking the Koolaid, and genujnely believe thjngs have changed.
No, I don’t. Thanks for the entirely waste of time reply.
I scanned the posts. He said nothing about ‘white men’.
But thanks for the fat shaming. That’s one to add to your attacks on the elderly.
Some ‘left-winger’ you are…
Here’s another one: are you actually just autistic. Is this why you are so socially inept?
Please take more time out of your day defending regressive reactionary shitheads, Mr. Liberal Progressive Man.
Okay, so now you’re being ableist.
Already you’ve insulted the old, the overweight, and now the Autistic. And you call yourself a progressive?!? Or are you defined more by the groups you hate (i.e. white straight cis men) than the ones you actually give a damn about?
Say just one coherent thing you dumb fuck, please
“Most Americans want politics out of the entertainment.”
Then most Americans are morons! Because you cannot separate politics from the art, or you wouldn’t have Shakespeare, Moliere, Chaplin, Goya, or Star Wars!
People who whine about artists getting political do not understand art! Plain and simple!
Don’t shoot the messenger folks. Ratings are at their lowest. What are you gonna do? Go force the millions and millions of people that chose not to watch to watch it?
Educate them! Education in the US is among the lowest in first world countries.
Education?!? Ha! From an industry that has harboured sex offenders for decades, and considers movies about men in flying capes and intergalactic casinos to be art on par with Shakespeare. No thanks…
I’m sorry, did somebody say that they were on the same level?
It seems like you have a lot to learn too, like trying to actually understand the point on’s making instead of just wanting to be right.
If you have a valid counter argument, bring it forward. Else, just keep your opinion to yourself.
When you say ‘educate them’, do you mean ‘indoctrinate people so that they end up sharing the same views as me’? Because that’s what it looks like to me.
When did small ‘d’ democracy, and the rights of people to hold different points-of-view become such a dirty word?
No, I actually mean the opposite. I mean teaching them facts, teaching them to understand the world as opposed to just regurgitate what they are fed.
Kitt, look @ the examples that you’ve given; all those artists had political statements interwoven with the art.
Note that their are few, if no, examples of a “star” just shouting, brazenly @ their audience to take stronger stance on the issues & the audience praising THAT act!
Thanks miguel. Good to see someone gets it.
These ‘artists’ are clearly bereft of any real talent if they can’t cogently communicate their political messages through their art, and instead need to speechify, wear pins, and exploit their socioeconomic privilege (we always talk about white and male privilege, but seem to constantly ignore the most significant privilege of all) to preach to the great unwashed.
You make a valid point.
But the thing is, most people whine ONLY when the statements differ from their personal opinions. The same people keep their mouths shut when somebody makes an anti-feminist statement, for example.
It’s also extremely hypocritical of those who don’t want Meryl Streep or Oprah to speak, and supported a celebrity for president.
Should celebrities keep it to themselves? I don’t think so. You may disagree with what they say, but at least a conversation can be started about whether they are right or not.
Those people have a lot of influence. It is their responsibility to speak up when they feel there is injustice. Celebrities speaking up have brought many many changes for women in the workplace, for example.
And their views are reflected in their art. When they plainly express them, it’s just the same thing using a different means.
There’s a very big difference between using art to communicate political messages and wealthy, elite, and super-privileged celebrities using their bully pulpit to speak down to us poor folk who aren’t all hypocritical sex offenders and shills for hypocritical sex offenders.
If The New York Times hadn’t published its exposé last year, you just know that the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey would have been sitting amongst their pals Clooney, Damon, and the rest, at the ceremony last Sunday. And who of us wants to take a lecture from that lot? They’ve been thoroughly discredited and should now shut up for a long while.
You’re the one in this thread going to bat for trump fans, a rapist and proud sexual assaulter, you absolute moron
How am I batting for Trump fans?
Are you not able to treat life in complex, grown-up terms, or must everything be a ‘them or us’ war for you?
Racists and mysoginists and rapists and their apologists and defenders are bad, and “liberals” who are more concerned about people being mean to those people than actual injustice are worse than useless. pretty simple
Rapists like Harvey Weinstein and Dominic Strauss-Kahn…misogynists like Bill Clinton and the people in his life who enabled his exploitation of interns and other women…racists like Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer, and political candidates who refer to black men as ‘super predators’…and how about sex offenders like Al Franken and Brendan Cox?
We are talking about the same thing, right?
“we” aren’t talking about anything because you are just rambling on about your hollywood manifesto.
Where did I indicate I give a single solitary shit about any one of those people, you rambling jackass? Who do you think you’re even talking to lmfao? I don’t give a shit about hillary clinton or al franken or lena dunham. jesus you insane maniac.
If the liberal-left is to win the White House in 2020, we may have to win over some of those ‘fascist’ Trump supporters.
But you keep living in denial over 2016 and see where that gets you. You know, the first sign of madness is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.
“If the liberal-left is to win the White House in 2020, we may have to win over some of those ‘fascist’ Trump supporters.”
I could careless about a bunch of imperialist racist democrats winning or not. Besides that was exactly the attitude that lost you the white house just recently, but go ahead and try for round two. In what fantasy world are you going to win over people who just want someone who hates brown people and the poor as much as them, and have nothing but contempt for anything they deem “liberal.” And guess what, if you support reactionaries and fascists and kowtow to them, you’re not actually progressive. Call yourself what you are, a spineless bootlicker.
Also which is it, you were just ranting about hillary clinton, now apparently you need to do whatever it takes just to win, presumably including supporting her kind? lol Or is it hillary clinton is bad, trump supporters are okay? That’s some more of that liberal “progressivism” there I guess.
“You know, the first sign of madness is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.”
This is actually a dumb internet cliche meme and nothing to do with “insanity” or “madness,” guy who was just calling ableist lol. And anyway it’s you that’s repeating yourself because wouldn’t know actual leftist politics if they landed in your ass
You are really one of the more unhinged and bizarre people I’ve come across on the internet lately which is saying somehting. There’s nothing resembling a coherent idealogy behind anything you say lmfao.
There’s a difference between referring to general mad behaviour, and using ‘Autistic’ as a slur.
Also, not all people who backed Trump in 2016 were racists (some of them were in fact grown and black – I know because I saw them being interviewed), and many of them were voting because they feared what was happening to their jobs and living standards (not that I thibk the toxic Trump is the answer whatsoever, but at least he was talking about these things, and still is with his, admittedly self-defeating, tariffs). These are the people in rustbelt states who actually voted for a black man in 2008 and 2012.
But what exactly is your answer other than to pour scorn on everyone and everything, including the old, the overweight, the disabled, Democrats, liberals, moderates, and Republicans? Because so far you’ve offered a lot of criticism but zero solutions other than pointless rage and anger.
Whether they’re personally racists or not they’re comfortable supporting a racist, rapist, misogynist. It’s not like he even hides this shit. and your comfortable supporting them. And I live in the rural midwest so you can shitcan the ol’ “you elitists don’t understand these poor salt of the earth racists” routine lol. White people dumb enough to be hoodwinked into blaming black people and foreigners for their problems by the capital holding class is a tale as old as capitalism.
and I don’t see the point in talking “answers” with a ranting lunatic like you who is either unstable, some sort of alt-right performance artist troll, or a fed lmfao. Especially when you think the “answer” is befriend racists.
I’m done with you.
At least I tried…
Yet here you are, on an entertainment website, talking about politics.
Well, when it seems that some people (the writer of this article) still just don’t get it, I just wanted to point it out to them. I mean if someone is wondering why it is cold outside in January despite the sun being out, I’m gonna have to explain to them how seasons work aren’t I?
The arguments you propose are neither convincing nor well informed.
Also, half the world has their summer in January. Maybe you don’t need to explain anyone about how seasons work.
I didnt watch becuase I get tired of the politics, just entertain. All this liberal hipocracy about guns and metoo makes me sick. Trump is our president and will be for another 2 possible 4 years. Live with it and STFU!
Learn to live with being told what an awful idiot you are. Free speech isn’t just you being shitty and nobody else being allowed to respond
Are you a (small d) democrat? I am.
And as a democrat I respect the rights of all individuals to choose to watch whatever entertainment they choose, as long as it’s legal, and likewise choose to avoid whatever entertainment they don’t care for. But you seem to think that people who disagree with you should be forcibly restrained, have matchstick placed between their open eyelids Clockwork Orange style, and made to watch a silly elitist self-congratulating awards show for three hours.
If Celine doesn’t want to watch this show for the reasons given, that is their right.
But it seems people like you have an issue with free speech and liberty. You also seem to have a very bigoted disregard for ‘old people’. Maybe they shouldn’t be allowed on the internet but should just be euthanized so that the likes of you don’t have to put up with their disagreeable opinions.
PS: I am a liberal…certainly more of one than you at least.
“But you seem to think that people who disagree with you should be forcibly restrained,”
Do you just pick random people in comment threads and type made up random horseshit you want to get off your chest? Actually respond to something being said or shutup you inept dork lmfao
Yes, you definitely are a liberal. And liberals always have been more comfortable with fascists than socialists. It was leftists wanting to abolish slavery, while liberals just wanted to get them better housing. Liberals are good for nothing but pretending to be friends of actual progressives while doing nothing but tying their hands behind their backs, and appeasing reactionaries for some look-at-how-good-I-am morality merit badge, because they want to maintain the status quo and hold onto their status.
Here you are bending backwards to defend some whiny old woman whose crying about “political correctness” because thanks the widespread usage of smart phones old reactionary people have stumbled onto the internet and are shocked to discover there’s a world outside of themselves that doesn’t think so much of them, and their failed exploitative systems. I bet you were one of those morons donating to that republican campaign office that got burned down to show what a good liberal you were lol
I was using ‘liberal’ in the US vernacular sense, signifying someone who is ‘left-wing’ because most people here tend to be Americans.
As it happens, my politics are socially democratic and far more left-wing than most Americans, and concerned with socioeconomic justice, something Hillary with her millionaire and billionaire friends in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street, abandoned a long time ago. How you can talk on one hand about the positives of socialism and then on another talk up a bunch of elitist members of the 1% is an irony even a pre-school child would find astounding
The establishment you so adore, including the Democratic Party, Hollywood, and the rest, are the least socialist people on the face of the planet, so if you’re serious about left-wing politics, stop shilling for these people, with their talk of ‘super predators’ and their polite sorority racism.
Also, as a social democrat, one of our concerns is to take care of and support the elderly and infirm, a group you think it is acceptable to sneer at and talk down. It is also to be fair to all groups and build a better society for everyone, rather than the Bolshevik ‘backs against the wall’ nonsense you seem to be spouting (on whose authority do you determine who is an ‘ally’ and who is an ‘enemy’?) But I’ll tell you this, if your Communist revolution ever comes into fruition, it’s the wealthy neoliberal likes of Hollywood, Bill and Hillary, and Mark Zuckerberg, not the poor and lower middle-class blue-collar Trump supporters in Pennsylvania, who will be the first to be made enemies of the state.
No you’re pretty much a textbook version of mlk jr.’s “white moderate”
“The establishment you so adore, including the Democratic Party, ”
” Bolshevik ‘backs against the wall’ nonsense ”
lmfao what the fuck are you even talking about, which is it, do I love the establishment or am I a wild radical wanting to put everyone up against a wall. Are you just physically incapable of responding to anything anyone actually says and just here to go off on your prewritten rants regardless of context
” stop shilling for these people, with their talk of ‘super predators’ and their polite”
” talk up a bunch of elitist members of the 1%”
Where am I even doing this you unhinged maniac? I don’t give a SHIT about hollywood. And you’re the one in here shilling for and defending trump supporters? Are you just actually insane or an elaborate troll?
I don’t tend to shill for anyone based on who they vote for. I might, on occasion, go to bat for Bernie and Corbyn supporters, in view of the way the disgraceful way the press treats them, but by-and-large I’m a humanist. I go to bat for humans, whethet they’re supporters of Trump, Clinton, Obama, Bush, and so on.
I’m not sure if that makes me a ‘white moderate’ (I’d argue that I’m further to the left than that), but since I don’t consider ‘moderate’ to be a dirty word (do you?), I’ll take that as a compliment.
But all this entire conversation started because you were criticising various posters who chose to miss the Academy Awards ceremony because they weren’t interested at being preached to. So, I’m not sure how you can argue that you were not sticking up for Hollywood.
If however that was not your intention, I’m pleased to read that. Perhaps I misjudged you…but I’m still damned as to what you were trying to achieve by criticising various posters for skipping on the Oscars.
Again, this rambling diatribe that has fuck all to do with anything
You’re here defending a bunch whiny old people crying about political correctness and using me as some stand in to yell about hollywood like I give a shit about it. I could give a shit about the academy awards. cry baby reactionaries who suddenly think they’re being “censored” or “preached to,” your friends in this thread, I have no patience for.
Jesus it’s like every fucking reply you make it’s starting over at zero with you and I have to say the exact same shit, while you write 50 fucking paragraphs just to say the same thing all over again.
Yeah I get that you don’t see “moderate” as a dirty word. That’s immanently clear. You certainly fit in with all the other reactionary appeasing liberals, especially the ones you keep ranting about here weirdly enough.
Did Not – Did too – Huh Uh – Oh Ya ? I’m gonna tell my Dad & he’s gonna pound you …. Mommmm Jimmy doesn’t like me, make him stop ….. Huh uh… Did too … Nu- Uh …. I don’t like you – you live over there … Hu- Uh … Uuuhhhhhhhhh …
I wouldn’t necessarily say that the movie list is strong, but that’s not what kept viewers away. Why would anyone want to sit through an entire long-ass awards show when they can instantly see the results posted on social media or news feeds, AND know that video of any worthy-of-note bits will be posted online within hours (if not, minutes)?
If they keep telling themselves it is because people aren’t watching TV any more .. what about all the other shows on TV, what are their ratings? Keep the politics out and maybe people will watch again. I don’t watch any of the shows at all any more. They all seem to have to get their digs in or their agendas or their little speeches in… I want to be entertained not politicized. Sorry, but these networks better wake up from their snowflake coma. The Golden Globes and the Emmy’s were at a low also… what more do they need?
Drop the politics and HATE and maybe the movie and awards ratings would improve. Get rid of Kimmel too would be very helpful also! He’s a hateful idiot!
It deserved low ratings. In a year where you have Shape of Water one of the most laughable things you’ll ever see beating out the likes of Phantom Thread and Call Me By Your Name which are simply far superior and more sophisticated works of art you’ll lose everyone in droves. Thank god for Moonlight last year that’s all I can say.
This narrative ignores the fact that the Super Bowl still continues to get great ratings and the fact that people have been streaming for years.
But of course the silly industry and media types will keep telling themselves that the ratings have nothing to do with the show itself and the fact that most of us didn’t want to watch three hours plus of santimonious preaching from a hypocritical industry that has been giving out awards to its biggest sex offender for decades.
Here’s a tip Hollywood: when your industry continues to keep schtum about a prolific sexual predator for over two decades, maybe now it isn’t a good time to preach to us non-sex-offenders from the very same venue that was once that sex offender’s spiritual home.