Masuk Free Press

On Jan. 23 at 8:30 pm, film fans around the world tuned in to hear the nominations for this year’s Oscars, one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry. However, many were shocked and horrified to find that notable names were missing from the reputable list. 

One such alleged injustice was Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, respectively the director and lead of the 2023 hit movie Barbie. This exclusion of Barbie for Best Director and Best Actress was deemed ironic considering the film’s message of gender mistreatment and feminism empowerment. But with the Oscars’ viewership declining since 2014, going from 43.7 billion to 18.7 billion, people are asking: does the “snub” really matter?

Majority of Masuk students said they have never seen it. In fact, out of the ten students polled only two have seen clips of the award show.

“I have no clue,” said junior Cheyenne Kearney about what the Oscars are.

“I kinda forgot they were happening this year,” said freshman Joaquin Dao-Crespo.

“Just some clips on the internet afterwards,” said freshman Kiersten Meadows.

The Oscars have previously set the gold standard for movies. Wherever an Oscar went, viewership followed. Yet now, the reputation and relevance the Oscars once held claim to have vanished.

“No, I don’t think other people’s opinions should decide in what I watch,” said sophomore Mary Morrison.

It is clear that the Oscars do not matter to Masuk students. So do the awards truly matter?

“If movies did win I probably wouldn’t notice and probably wouldn’t care,” said sophomore Riya Pooskur.

With the decline in Oscar viewership and interest from the younger generation, the power the Oscars once had has started to fade. The controversies of the event have always gained more traction than the actual event itself, as is evidenced by Will Smith’s infamous slapping of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. 

For centuries the gold standard in the film industry has been decided by a single statue, not by the cultural impact the film had. Movies, songs, directors and industry professionals with the most votes from The Academy’s Board of Directors win. A board thats only way of joining is through the sponsorship and support of other board members. People are realizing that the “elite” reputation of the Oscars is not true, considering that the decisions that have influenced the film industry have been made by a single board filled with human error. With the Barbie “snub” and the growing disinterest, it just might.Barbie has already proved successful. The movie garnered a total of 1.45 billion dollars worldwide, making Greta Gerwig the most successful female director of all time. From the Barbie vs. Oppenheimer memes to sales of Barbie dolls increasing by 9.3 percent, the film has made an impact globally.