The Oscars ratings are in, and this year’s ceremony landed with a resounding whimper.
About 9.85 million viewers tuned in, according to Variety, which is a more than 58% drop from last year’s all-time low of 23.6 million viewers. 2019’s ceremony garnered 29.6 million viewers. The ceremony landed a 1.9 rating for adults in the coveted 18 to 49 age demographic, a 64.2% drop from 2020.
Despite the dismal viewership, the 2021 Oscars were full of several surprises, shockers and charming moments.
In the “charming” category was Daniel Kaluuya’s speech when he won Best Supporting Actor for “Judas and the Black Messiah” — and made an off-the-cuff sex joke about his parents, much to his mother’s dismay, judging from her reaction in the audience.
“Nomandland” director Chloé Zhao also earned a historical win as the first Asian woman to take home the Best Director trophy.
“I think the understanding and trying to see the world from the other person’s perspective is the only way we can survive as a species,” she said in her speech.
The biggest shocker — and flub — of the night was Anthony Hopkins’ Best Actor win for “The Father.”
The film was a great performance from Hopkins, but the moment landed awkwardly because the telecast had clearly been set up expecting the late Chadwick Boseman to take home a posthumous win.
And, thanks to the way that producer Steven Soderbergh had set up the ceremony, Hopkins, who wasn’t there in-person, didn’t get to end it with a speech. So the ceremony ended with a big fat “yikes” moment.
He later dedicated his win to Boseman.
At least there’s still next year. The 2022 Oscars are scheduled for Feb. 27, 2022.