An Oscar red carpet rerouting

What if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences threw an Oscar show and not everyone came . . . early? With last year's audience for the telecast at a historic low of 32 million, the academy has devised a new strategy for enticing more viewers on Feb. 22: Ask presenters to eschew the pre-show red carpet so people will tune in to see who's handing out the awards -- or at least to get a look at what they're wearing. ¶ Several publicists, all of whom asked to remain anonymous, said last week that the academy had requested that their firms' clients who are presenters use an off-camera entrance this year. Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger denies talk that the request has gone out to presenters across the board but confirms that "there is a hope that some of the people who present will be a surprise." She adds: "I can tell you that there will definitely be actors and actresses on the red carpet." ¶ Limiting the exposure of its presenters would be a calculated risk on the part of the academy. On one hand, it might leverage the presence of superstars such as Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise as well as crowd-pleasers like Johnny Depp and Cameron Diaz. But it would do so at the cost of upsetting those who feed and benefit from the red-carpet economy. Because one question that probably won't be asked from the Oscar stage is "Who are you wearing?" ¶ "From a business point of view, how likely are we to see fashion credits if these people don't walk the red carpet?" asks publicist Marilyn Heston, whose MHA Media firm represents popular designers such as Elie Saab and Reem Acra. "And if not, what's the point of all this effort and great expense in having a girl wear a dress? There's a lot involved."

By Monica Corcoran

February 11, 2009