At the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night, one name from the recent history of Hollywood will stand out above the rest: not Cillian or Emma, but Ken.
65 individuals will be joining Ryan Gosling on stage for his performance of “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie movie. These individuals have been featured in the Oscars’ pastel pink promotional videos, alongside fourth-time host Jimmy Kimmel.
Although Barbie is not predicted to beat Billie Eilish for best original song and best costume design (Gosling is a potential contender for best supporting male), Greta Gerwig’s film is being highlighted in an awards show that is making an effort to regain its viewers’ interest.
This year, the organizers of the Oscars, Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan, and Molly McNearney, promise to make a huge impact, and in reality, their event desperately requires some of Barbie’s shining star power.
Viewership for the Oscars has not been very impressive in recent years. In 2020, only 18.7 million people watched as Jimmy Kimmel hosted, marking the third lowest rating in history. This was preceded by even lower numbers in 2022 with 15.4 million viewers and 2021 with a low of 10.4 million viewers.
Due to this trend, the Academy and ABC, the American network that airs the Oscars, have had to adjust their approach in order to revitalize the event. In its prime, the Oscars drew in over 50 million viewers.
As a solution, the producers have advanced the start time by an hour to make it more suitable for prime time viewing. They are also depending heavily on the popularity of Barbie to attract a larger, family-friendly audience for the evening.
One could argue that the decline in success and popularity may be attributed to a lack of interest in the films that have been endorsed and promoted by the Oscars.
Parasite, the unexpected recipient of the best picture award in 2020, earned a whopping $262 million from worldwide movie ticket sales. In comparison, the 2021 best picture winner Nomadland only earned close to $40 million. The previous year’s best picture winner, the highly acclaimed action film Everything Everywhere All at Once, brought in a respectable $143 million, but it pales in comparison to Barbie’s massive $1.5 billion and Oppenheimer’s global box office earnings, which are just under $1 billion.
Barbieheimer represents a cultural trend that benefits producers in their efforts to revive Hollywood’s most prominent event. It offers an opportunity to celebrate the diverse appeal of cinema, appealing to both mainstream and niche audiences alike.
Christopher Nolan’s awards season juggernaut Oppenheimer looks nailed on to dominate the evening awards-wise, while Barbie can provide the softer cultural cut-through to a younger audience. The other thing Gosling’s performance could engineer is the holy grail for producers: viral moments that travel way beyond the boundaries of the broadcast into the wider culture and give them the much coveted social media “reach”.
This year, the producers have stated that they plan to change their approach by straying away from the typical “elaborate, pre-planned comedy segments” featuring Kimmel and various guest stars. Kapoor promised, “We can only set the stage and hope that things will unfold organically and without force.” It is certain that we will not see a recurrence of the forced interactions between Kimmel and the donkey from “The Banshees of Inisherin” as seen last year.
Celebrity hosts, such as Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, and Michael Keaton, will take the place of the previous hosts to announce the winners. Other confirmed celebrity hosts include Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Cathy O’Hara, Octavia Spencer, Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh, and Zendaya. There is also speculation of a possible Scarface reunion with the appearances of Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.
One looming issue with the awards is whether or not the Israel-Gaza conflict will be addressed. In the past, Hollywood has often overlooked global events during its prominent evening, but with widespread protests in the US and internationally, and the relevant themes of the nominated films, it may be challenging to avoid on Sunday.
There have been demonstrations, like the ones that disrupted the Independent Spirit awards, and there may be more on Sunday that could initiate a discussion that many in Hollywood are hesitant to engage in. According to one studio executive, as reported by the New York Times, the topic is too sensitive and there is fear of career repercussions.
During awards season, James Wilson, the producer of The Zone of Interest, is among the limited nominees who have referenced the conflict. At the Baftas, he received an award for his work. If Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama triumphs once again, will Wilson deliver a similar speech? Will other award recipients also acknowledge the conflict?
Source: theguardian.com
