There Will Be Oscars, But Will There Be Viewers?

By Katey Rich

It's Oscar week, and that means that the top-shelf talent is clearing out of New York to go to L.A., meet with stylists, starve themselves and try to prepare for the big night. Probably no one is busier, though, than Jon Stewart. The New York Times featured him as he prepares for the ceremony only a week after the official end of the writers' strike allowed him to get to work. "Now it's like: I can name that tune in seven notes. I can do the Oscars in nine days. No, I can do the Oscars in eight days," Stewart told the Times.

The question being asked elsewhere is, just how popular is this thing going to be? Everyone remembers that when Stewart hosted two years ago, it was one of the lowest-rated Oscar broadcasts in history. Plus, only one Best Picture nominee (the ever-present Juno) has made more than $100 million, which means there won't be a whole lot of die-hard fans to tune in and root for their favorite. Variety credits Gil Cates for boosting the star power with presenters, but also reminds us that the Academy could have nominated Brad and Angelina, and well, they didn't.

The x-factor involved is that the strike is just over, and we've heard more about the Oscars this year than ever with all the "Will the show go on?" speculation. That could mean that the Oscars are on everyone's mind more than usual; conversely, it could just be Oscar junkies like me who cared to begin with. But just like Jon Stewart says he and his writers are "like puppies right now...It's a lot of adrenaline and enthusiasm," I think everyone will be so happy to be trekking to the Kodak Theater that the vibe could be as loose and enjoyable as the Golden Globes. I have to imagine that Stewart's writers have been saving their best material for Oscar night, with those long months of the strike, and will be able to pack a punch they didn't quite accomplish two years ago.

Of course, I'll be watching anyway. But it's a lot more fun to look forward to something that you actually think will be good.