You said the Oscars jumped the shark because, and I quote “...really jumped the shark that year a movie NO ONE HAD HEARD OF won over BOX OFFICE HIT La La Land. I capitalized the important statements there. You used the fact that La La Land was a box office hit to justify it winning. Now, I’m pretty sure anyone with basic middle school reading comprehension skills will be able to figure this out. It’s ok you don’t want to admit it though.

Why should they appeal to the masses? Shouldn’t the best movies win? Sometimes the best movies aren’t the most accessible, or mainstream. You’re equating mainstream with good, and outside the box or lesser known as bad or unworthy of acclaim.

You also have provided no proof to show that this was the main causal factor in diminishing viewership in the Oscars. I’d probably attribute this heavily to the surge in viewership of TV shows and miniseries. Netflix and other streaming services are preferable to many families. They don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on ticket prices, and can watch great stories from the comfort of their own home or couch, for less money. You can see that as these services boomed, Oscars and theaters have been declining sharper than they ever have been.