Photo: NPR
Seth Rogen doesn’t understand why Hollywood still wants to promote the Oscars.
“I don’t get why movie people care so much if other people care what awards we give ourselves,” said Rogen in an interview about their Lay’s potato chips Super Bowl ad with Paul Rudd.
“To me, maybe people just don’t care,” the Canadian actor and filmmaker further stated. “I don’t care who wins the automobile awards. No other industry expects everyone to care about what awards they shower upon themselves. Maybe people just don’t care. Maybe they did for a while, and they stopped caring. And why should they?”
The Oscars ratings have been plummeting for years, even with the Academy Awards modifying parts of the show to make it more appealing to audiences; not having a host, attempting to reduce the airtime of the show by dismissing the original song performances, and pondering on a most popular category at one time included.
Last year, the pandemic made cutbacks for the Oscars. As a result, it held the lowest ratings in the event’s history, with only below 10 million people watching.
The Oscars aims to redeem itself this year by getting a host. It will be the first time the show possessed one after Jimmy Kimmel took the job in 2018.
It hasn’t been announced who the host will be. When asked who they think the host will be, Rogen said, “That’s a tough one.” However, he further stated, “I’m sure there are comedians out there that want to, right?”
Rogen and Rudd recommended someone “outside the box” such as Nathan Fielder, co-creator of “Nathan for You” or John Wilson, creator of HBO’s “How To with John Wilson.”
When the two were asked whether they had ever been recruited to be a host at the Oscars in the past, they hushed.
“Maybe a soft conversation,” Rogen finally replied with a laugh.
“I don’t think I would be a good host,” Rudd added.
The Oscars will be broadcasted on March 27 on ABC.
Opinions expressed by Artist Weekly contributors are their own.
