Deadline confirms that this year’s Academy Awards hit a seven-year low.
And even Chris Rock couldn’t save the show:
Chris Rock came out swinging in one of the most anticipated opening monologues in years and took on the diversity controversy from the get-go at the 88th Academy Awards. Last night also saw Brie Larson win Best Actress, Leonardo DiCaprio snag Best Actor in his fifth nomination, Alejandro G. Iñárritu was named Best Director and Spotlight won Best Picture. With all that, the Oscars themselves did not have a great night ratings-wise with a 23.1/37 in metered market results.
Declining to an 8-year low, that’s down 6% from the 24.6/39 that the ceremony got last year in early results from the 56 markets across the country. That 2015 Neil Patrick Harris=hosted Oscars were matched with the 2011 Oscars for the third worst the Academy Awards has done in MM ratings since the last time Rock fronted the gig in 2005 – only 2009’s Hugh Jackman-hosted 23.3 and 2008’s Jon Stewart-hosted 21.9 were lower. Obviously, in the early results, last night’s show dipped below 2009 and close to 2008 numbers.
Although fewer people watched the Oscars this year, it’s predicted to still reign supreme as Sunday night’s most watched program, amassing around 34 million viewers.
In related news, Tyrese has a bone to pick with Chris Rock.
The actor was one of the main people who called for Chris to step down from his hosting gig at the award show, but Tyrese is feeling some kind of way about Chris throwing Jada Pinkett-Smith under the bus during his opening monologue.
Just in case you missed it, here’s what Chris said about Jada:
“You gotta figure that it happened in the 50s, in the 60s — you know, in the 60s, one of those years Sidney didn’t put out a movie. I’m sure there were no black nominees some of those years. Say ‘62 or ‘63, and black people did not protest.
“Why? Because we had real things to protest at the time, you know? We had real things to protest; you know, we’re too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer.
“You know, when your grandmother’s swinging from a tree, it’s really hard to care about best documentary foreign short.
“But what happened this year? What happened? People went mad. Spike got mad, — got mad, and Jada went mad, and Will went mad. Everybody went mad, you know?
“Jada got mad? Jada says she not coming, protesting. I’m like ain’t she on a TV show?
“Jada is going to boycott the Oscars — Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.
“Oh, that’s not an invitation I would turn down.”
In a video posted to Instagram, Tyrese writes:
“I didn’t watch – I didn’t – but online people are talking and someone posted the tasteless joke that Chris Rock did in his opening – Did you really use your STAGE to tear down and diminish one of the strongest most fearless black women IN this town as the world watched??? Jokes are just jokes right???? Not when someone is trying to affect change……… Not when someone is willing to put it ALL on the line to affect change for our daughters and sons of the future…….. Shame on you Chris Rock – Now let me run to YouTube and watch Leo’s acceptance speech………… So f*cking proud of you Leo……”
Check out the video below:
The Oscars don’t mean as much it used to. All the award shows are losing their flair and cultural impact. I know I was a actually watching TWD instead.
TWD is so good.
I think the second half of the season is going to be epic. Thank goodness because the first half was so slow. Don’t even get me started on #DumpsterGate
Tyrese always have something to say
Besides ignoring most black films, the Oscars is just boring. Who in the right mind would want to unwind and watch that on a Sunday night anyway?
LOL. Leave it to Tyrese to find a way to make just about anything all about him.
Chris Rock lost major points with me.
I’m glad I didn’t watch this bullsh-t. I’ve seen Chris Rock do enough c–ning to last a lifetime. You don’t even get on a worldwide platform is bash your own kind. F-ck him and all the racist a-sholes who laughed at that lynching “joke”.
What he said about Jada was unnecessary and false. If she’s such a nobody, why did her speaking out against the Oscars cause the ripple effect that it did? It’s sad he willingly decided to try to bring her down a peg in front of a mainly white audience. I hope they paid him enough because he’s losing a lot of black fans.
Good. I won’t be watching next year either but I’m sure they are already picking one black film to d-ckride just to get black viewership back up next year.
They can cancel this sh-t for all I care. Oscars mean nothing to me. Especially when just about every black actor who gets one flops right after.
lmao Tyrese is such an attention whore
*blank stare* Anyway, Jada probably regrets ever saying anything at all. Not only are white people dragging her, but black people too. Sad.
I can’t stand Chris Rock and he’s never been funny to me. I Don’t agree with his corny a-s trying to make a joke out of our ancestors nor trying to drag Jada,but hell blacks on these sites do it all the time. The constant dragging of Ciara, Rihanna, and Beyonce is pathetic. I know it’s apples&oranges in comparison, but it’s all ridiculous. ..ijs
Jada shouldn’t regret anything. She was standing up for what she believed in. Tyrese is well….Tyrese but I agree with him..
Forget what he said about Jada (which I agree was unnecessary), but attempted jokes about ancestors “swinging from a tree” will never be funny. Nevah! I’m surprised that so much of the focus is on his Jada commentary and NOT on that egregious foul.
Now that the ratings are getting lower and lower, watch them try to throw black people a bone next year with the nominations. Smdh!