Awards shows care about being cared about.
Events like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys are splashy, televised affairs. They’re different from their sibling functions, like the Screen Actor Guild Awards and Directors Guild of America Awards, in that those events are a lot more peer–to–peer. Industry insider stuff. The Oscars, however, are the pinnacle of forward showmanship. Despite the fact that no one seems to be going to theaters these days, movies are always going to be the talk of the pedestrian town, and shows like the Oscars and the Globes have to perform for both their viewers and industry voters.
But as award show viewership decreases, the industry has to grapple with the question of how to keep audiences invested. That brings about the introduction of things like the box office award, a way to nod to Barbie last year and Wicked this year, celebrating blockbuster hits that also received critical acclaim. It’s a way to tell audiences: Hey, we saw where you put your money, and we’ll give you an award for that too.
But what do the Oscars mean in a year where a frontrunner was distributed by Mubi? When the first American Palme d’Or winner since 2011 isn’t a clear shoo–in for Best Picture? When fan support campaigns and smear campaigns alike have completely dominated awards season?
This year’s Oscar race may not always be “for the people,” but it certainly is by the people. For better or for worse, everyone online has an opinion about every movie in the running this year in a way that hasn’t been seen in years past. And while we won’t know how the Academy will respond to the voices of the people until the Oscars themselves, it’s been fascinating to observe the aggressive involvement laypeople have had in the campaigning this year.
It’s impossible to predict what effect the involvement of average folks on the campaign trail will have. But show business is show business, and showbiz is incredibly image–forward. Even if grassroots campaigns aren’t particularly effective, it’s hard to imagine that the litany of shouts and scandals this year won’t impact the voting at least a little. With voices online constantly critiquing actors and producers for infractions past and present, it’s become impossible for Hollywood to separate the art entirely from the artist.
The passionate and hopeful masses have a platform on sites like X, formerly known as Twitter, to form tight–knit, small–but–mighty fan communities. The shutout of Challengers from the Oscars has been a hot topic, particularly in the Best Film Editing and Best Original Score categories. Transparently, I have to say I agree with those who are calling it a snub—it’s hard to ignore the nagging feeling that Challengers’ bisexuality and throuple–ness didn’t have a discomfiting impact on establishment Academy voters, even in slightly less prestigious categories. That, or a movie about small people with big feelings can’t measure up to the big people, big feelings pictures that are dominating the awards this year.
Another film that isn’t as traditionally Oscars but is getting its laurels is The Substance. It’s a disgusting, campy, sparkly explosion of commentary on how women, especially in the media, are seen as less valuable with age. It’s a shockingly hard watch, a delight to see in theaters, and a total wildcard—the Academy notoriously hates comedies and horrors, and The Substance is both.
It’s hard to look at The Substance and think that audience responses haven’t factored into its reception; how many horrors, comedies, and horror–comedies haven’t been recognized at all by the Academy for anything, let alone Best Picture? The Substance has had a cult love surrounding it, and online opinions get louder, more relevant, and closer to Hollywood itself year after year. Perhaps this is the year this online influence finally broke through, in tandem with Demi Moore’s years of being overlooked, Margaret Qualley’s Gen Z appeal, and the story’s modern relevance. I don’t think it’s a particularly well–written picture, but it’s constructed to be loved and to be loved loudly—and maybe the Academy’s years of shutting its ears to horror’s screams are gone. That, or audience cheers and final–girl shouts are hard to parse from one another.
And speaking of horror, it’s impossible to talk about the impact of laypeople on the awards show rat race without talking about the hot, tone–deaf (in ways more than one) mess that is Emilia Pérez. Consider lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s absolutely batshit tweets from only a few years ago, doing everything from calling the Oscars an “Afro–Korean festival” to all but praising Hitler. Or her going on CNN and doing an hourlong breakdown in an unauthorized interview to try (and fail) to save her image. All of this fueled the vitriol she’s (fairly) facing and the vitriol everyone else involved in the movie is (unfairly) avoiding despite basically making a slam piece on Mexico with practically zero involvement from Mexicans. Not to mention the incredible parody hitting back at French people (the director of Emilia Pérez is French) called Johanne Sacrebleu.
And on top of that … do people actually like this movie? Critics are raving, sure, and that’s all well and good, but the disconnect between the think pieces and the Letterboxd reviews is stark. When I saw Emilia Pérez this summer at Cannes Film Festival, it was ten in the evening, I’d had a couple of glasses of wine, and I was riding the high of making friends in line to watch the film. Even then, I thought it was pretty terrible on a lot of fronts, and my opinion is one of the more generous.
It’s the people who dug up Gascón’s offensive tweets. It’s the people who have turned (rightfully so) the movie’s laughable passes at songs into already-stale memes on Twitter. It’s the people who seem to be saying: Yeah, a movie with a trans protagonist would be great, but must it be this movie?
There are other smear campaigns that the people have led this season too. The Brutalist’s alleged use of AI. I’m Still Here actress Fernanda Torres’ blackface from 17 years ago, and Zoe Saldaña’s from nine years ago. Discourse about the use of intimacy coordinators in Anora—a practice that, a couple years ago, most moviegoers knew nothing about, let alone had fiery feelings for.
But the discourse surrounding Emilia Pérez has had the largest and most tangible impact.Gascón has dropped out of show appearances and been removed from campaign ads—the lead of the movie may as well not exist, and it’s all due to (thanks to?) the people. It’s hard to imagine that the Academy won’t take notice; it’s hard to imagine that this won’t play into the film and its actresses winning or losing awards. This discourse leaves us in a strange place—glad that the movie likely won’t win the awards it was expected to a few months ago, but also disappointed that without the people’s campaign, a movie that’s just straight–up not that good may have won big.
To go back to the box office, the affection for Wicked and Dune this year is particularly notable, both in terms of money made and awards they’re nominated for. Theater kids and sci–fi nerds are wildly different kinds of loser (though I’m personally proud to report that I am both), and it’s a confusing treat to see the Academy give them some love. Are they actually good? Are they just well–liked? Are they audience–grabbers? Does anyone care?
All I know for sure is that this Oscars season, the people are involved like never before. There’s a secret extra voter lurking behind the scenes, making their presence known through the Pope Crave Twitter account and entertainment magazine slam pieces.
Being generous, maybe the Academy is making an effort to get people to care about it and its awards again; maybe the network wants better ratings. Maybe all the ancient voters somehow got their shit together and recognized that horror and comedy can and should get their laurels. Being less generous: Maybe they started trans Mexican musical discourse for the ragebait and the drama.
I don’t know. I’m not an Academy voter—if I was, you’d be sure that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross would be going home with a heavy statuette in hand. But I’m a person who cares about movies. And for better or for worse, this year the Academy has made me care about what it thinks about them too.
