Award Show Appeal
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By David Oliver > Freshman > Journalism > University of Maryland, Photo By Riley Blanks > Sophomore > Sociology and Studio Art > University of Virginia
You know the drill.
The lavish dresses, the clean-cut tuxes, the tears, the laughter, the fake smiles – all facets of what has become American traditions of award shows.
But why do people really watch?
This year, both the Golden Globes and the Oscars each had their highlights and their missteps.
Let’s put it this way: Ricky Gervais should probably never open his mouth in a room full of highly sensitive people. He disproves the theory “that sticks and bones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” In fact, his words do hurt. Just ask Angelina Jolie, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson – point made.
However, despite Gervais’s biting statements, the show exceeded the number of viewers from the previous year,
reaching approximately 17 million, said the Huffington Post.
The Oscars did not fare from the same boost, suffering a 7 percent decrease in viewers since the 2010 show, producing only 37.6 million viewers for James Franco and Anne Hathaway, said the New York Daily News.
Conclusion: Award shows continue to maintain their appeal for gossip purposes about who deserved to win and who wore what, but ultimately the number of viewers appears to be influenced by who hosts said show, and what the people are interested in hearing. Clearly, the perkiness of Hathaway and the “essence” of Franco were no match for the maliciousness of Ricky Gervais.
