WiNK

by: Vladimir Schwindeman-Romano

OSCAR, Dead at 93

Oscar, the most renowned and coveted award in the entertainment industry died on Sunday, April 25th in Los Angeles. He was 93. The cause of death was not immediately established, but it is believed to be related to diminishing audience syndrome (DAS), exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic which has taken a devastating toll on the entertainment industry.

His death was announced by the Nielsen company, who said that Oscar's health had been in serious decline over the past several years.

The brainchild of MGM studio chief, Louis B. Mayer, Oscar was conceived at a dinner party at Mr. Mayer's home in 1927 and born on May 16, 1929. Although officially named the Academy Award of Merit, the newborn trophy, designed by MGM art director, Cedric Gibbons and realized by Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley, was 13 ½ inches long and weighed 8 ½ pounds. The iconic 24-karat gold plated statuette of a knight standing on a reel of film gripping a crusader's sword went unnamed for many years until Academy librarian and eventual executive director, Margaret Herrick, saw the statue for the first time and said, "He looks just like my Uncle Oscar." The name stuck, and in 1939 the moniker was officially adopted.

In his infancy there was little suspense about who would take Oscar home when 270 attendees crowded into the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel for the first Academy Awards ceremony. The winners, including Wings for best picture, had been announced three months prior to the ceremony. It wasn't until 1940 that the sealed envelope system was adopted.

In Oscar's youth, television was still considered the red-headed step child, except when it came to the Academy Awards telecast. Along with its burgeoning audience came profitable advertising deals and official sponsorships. Glamorous brands including Revlon, American Express and Kodak lined up to bask in Oscar's glow. Before long, Oscar was an industry unto himself. Brands couldn't seem to get enough of him and in an attempt to generate more revenue, in 1961 the pre-ceremony Red Carpet arrivals were broadcast for the first time. Over time, the Red Carpet evolved and cable networks offered extended coverage where the likes of Joan Rivers showed more interest in what people were wearing than what roles they were nominated for.

Oscar, who enjoyed his biggest audience in 1998 (when then box office record holder, Titanic drove his telecast audience to 55.25 million viewers), has been in deteriorating health since 2014. That year he delivered 41.62 million viewers. This year, the trophy saw his ratings plummet to an all-time low of 10.4 million viewers, a 56% decline from the previous years low of 23.6 million in overall viewership and an unprecedented 60% decline in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Nevertheless, in a year where the film industry was ravaged by the Coronavirus pandemic, Oscar still delivered ABC with the most watched of all the awards shows on ABC.

Many people blame his death on Covid-19, others believe that Oscar's demise was due to the other suspected causes include: the television network's rudderless ship-type atmosphere resulting from the absence of an on air host, the show's long drawn out introductions, the lack of movie clips and Best Song performances.

When asked to reflect on his legacy as the standard bearer of motion picture excellence, Oscar was humble. "It's been said that I've transformed careers, opened doors and have made the studios a lot of money, but at the end of the day, while I've been placed on mantels and other places of honor, I've also been used as doorstops and bookends. I'm just thankful."