Where is our Culture Going?
Hello Darlings,
Interesting developments in Hollywood as The Academy Awards announced Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane as the next show host! I will come out and admit that I like Seth, and while not huge fan of Family Guy, I respect the guy. Yes, he can sing and he is funny but given the track record of Oscar's the recent host line-up, you'd assume the Oscar show organizers would learn from their mistakes!
Less than a year ago, Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy stepped aside as hosts for 2012 show following objectionable comments made by Ratner. As the story goes, Ratner was quoted as saying "rehearsal is for fags" and discussing his sex life on Howard Stern's show. Soon after, Ratner and Murphy quit their Oscar hosting gig. Charming, non?
As most of us know, The Academy Awards are a big deal in many ways. Over 40 million Americans watch the show, making it one of the most popular TV shows each year. Super Bowl steals the spotlight with last year's all-time record audience of 111 million. But the Oscar audience is still a huge deal as is the fashion! Oscar red carpet is the highlight of all red carpets and without a doubt the most impressive.
As the story goes, in the recent years the Academy Awards have earned a reputation as boring. With the attention span of audiences getting shorter, Oscar is struggling with engagement. In response, show producers have tried to increase ratings by hiring "younger" hosts such as James Franco and Anne Hathaway in 2011 - but they got panned by critics - then going "edgier" such as Brett Ratner and Eddie Murphy in 2012.
The strategy is common sense, but the execution? If you've ever watched Family Guy, or even Seth MacFarlane's recent movie Ted, then it's obvious he has "filter" issues. So my question is, where is our culture going if for one of the biggest entertainment industry shows the producers are hiring Seth MacFarlane to follow up Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner? Maybe next time, Peter Griffin himself will have the honor of hosting the awards!
Interested to hear your thoughts, since this decision "turned me off" about watching the 2013 Oscar Awards.
With Love...
Marta
Images Courtesy Garance Dore, One Sydney Road, Pierre Dal Corso