In America, the ground zero of identity politics, Hollywood is nervous that the audience for this Sunday’s Oscars ceremony may reveal a disturbing drop in public interest.
TV ratings for other awards ceremonies this year have been in freefall: the audience for last month’s Golden Globes fell by 60 per cent compared with last year.
This can’t be put down entirely to the effect of the pandemic on cinema attendance. As The New York Times reported, ratings for the Oscars fell by 44 per cent between 2014 and last year, before Covid struck the US.
It’s more likely that viewers are voting with their feet as the film industry turns itself into a platform for identity politics. One recent Oscars ceremony producer said ratings analysis