Member-only story
How Awards Shows Must Adapt in a Post-Slap World
Seven ways awards show can become relevant again
Yes, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars was deeply uncomfortable to watch and literal assault, but it was also very good for the movie business. The Academy Awards has been waning in relevance for many years now, and The Slap breathed new life into the whole affair. Not since the La La Land-Moonlight Best Picture debacle, or Kanye West’s “Imma let you finish” moment has an award show been talked about this much. (Plus, the numbers don’t lie: viewership was up by 58% from last year.)
The tired minds that put together awards shows every year should use The Slap as inspiration for how to revitalize their moribund products. Don’t worry, I’m here to help. Here are seven ways award shows can stay relevant in a post-Slap society:
Hand out objectively problematic lifetime achievement awards
Think about what would happen if the Emmys gave Osama bin Laden a lifetime achievement award. Consider the…
