“The slap” may have been the hit the Academy needed. In a new OnePoll survey of 1,000 Americans, 63% said they expect to watch next year’s Oscars because of the Will Smith and Chris Rock feud. To increase viewership and ratings at an otherwise snoozefest, the Academy attempted to cut down on runtime — despite still running late — by pre-recording eight categories: documentary short, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short and sound. As per usual, the Academy was met with negativity, this time for cutting award recipients because of time — but the drama was overshadowed by the main event: Smith slapping Rock on stage. Nearly one in ten people surveyed only tuned into Hollywood’s biggest night post-slap, according to the poll, as news immediately circulated online, bolstering ratings. While people everywhere weighed in on the baffling altercation, others were quick to create memes and crack jokes online, making the buzzworthy moment even more of a smash. The results of the poll also showed that the slap was a hit, now topping the list of most shocking Oscars moments, with 35% of the votes. In second place was the 2017 award for Best Picture, with 19% of the votes, when “La La Land” was mistakenly given the award.
