Oscars 2022: Are You Watching the Broadcast? (POLL)
On Sunday, March 27, the stars will gather to honor this year in film at the 94th Academy Awards. But like recent years, the 2022 Oscars broadcast is surrounded in controversy, prompting some to debate whether they’d tune in for the broadcast on ABC.
Ironically enough, much of the controversy spurred from the awards show trying to boost its audience. In an attempt to bring in more viewers, the Oscars cut eight of the top-tier categories from the main broadcast: film editing, sound editing, original score, production design, makeup/hairstyling, animated short, live-action short, and documentary short. A new fan-voted category will be announced during the main broadcast, which prompted further criticism.
Film fans and creators alike have criticized the snub, and the move has resulted in planned protests during the ceremony. Sound designers, engineers, and mixers plan to wear their badges upside-down in a form of silent protest during the pre-telecast hour on Sunday, when the snubbed categories will be announced.
Karol Urban, President of the Cinema Audio Society, released a public statement announcing the protest on March 24. It was signed by more 80 people, including 17 Academy Award winners, and signed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, per Variety. “We are all filmmakers of equal importance,” the statement read.
Filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and Jane Campion (whose films Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, and The Power of the Dog are all up for Best Picture this year) publicly dissented against the Academy’s choice to announce these categories before the main event.
“I disagree with the decision made by the executive committee,” Spielberg, who is on the Academy’s Board of Governors, told Deadline. “I feel very strongly that this is perhaps the most collaborative medium in the world. All of us make movies together, we become a family where one craft is just as indispensable as the next.”
Notably, Spielberg’s West Side Story has further involvement in the Oscars 2022 controversies. Rachel Zegler, who starred in the film as Maria but didn’t receive a nomination, was not invited to attend the Oscars despite the film’s seven nominations. It was the studio’s (Disney) job to invite the actor, and her lack of an invitation prompted so much internet flack, the Oscars invited Zegler to be a presenter.
Additionally, Disney owns ABC, on which the Oscars will air live. And Disney CEO Bob Chapek has received a slew of criticism following the news of Disney’s political donations to Floridian politicians who created and passed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Some may opt not to tune in to the broadcast for this reason alone. And Disney stars, including Oscar Isaac and Gabrielle Union, have spoken out against Disney’s actions.
At the premiere of #CheaperbytheDozen, actress and executive producer Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) faced the issue of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill head-on pic.twitter.com/rQQipsdo6z
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 17, 2022
The Oscars always seems to stir up controversy with its decisions nowadays. What do you think? Will you be watching the 94th Academy Awards? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.
The 94th Academy Awards, Sunday, March 27, 8/7c, ABC
