The Average Person Couldn’t Care Less About the Oscars

The Academy Awards (Oscars) are taking place next weekend. As the Hollywood elites prepare to glamorously walk the red carpet to pat themselves on the back, many of us won't be watching, according to a new survey.  A poll from Morning Consult says those of us who don't really pay attention are not alone.

It's nothing against those who do care, but this is what the survey found: 55.3 percent of Americans have not seen any of this year's NINE Best Picture nominees.

The Academy upped the number of nominees for the award from five to 8-10 a few years back in an effort to recognize more mainstream movies that people had actually seen and thus, cared about. But it obviously hasn't worked.

Furthermore, 43 percent said the Oscars as a whole have no influence either way on what movies they see.

What does influence us most when deciding to see a movie? According to the poll, it's the presence of a favorite actor/actress or an exciting trailer. In fact, Oscar recognition is the least important factor.

The bottom line, apparently, is that most of us just want to be entertained, not "trendy" when it comes to movies.

I avoid the Oscars most years, mainly because most of the movies nominated don't interest me. I do admit I was slightly influenced by the Oscar hype for "Whiplash" enough to rent it on DVD, and I loved it.

What do you think of these results? Do you care about the Oscars? Do awards influence your taste in movies? Share your thoughts in the comments.

[Via Wikipedia, Morning Consult, Oscars]