During her acceptance speech for winning best documentary, Julia Reichert, the filmmaker for a President Barack Obama-produced documentary, quoted Marx’s famous “Workers of the world unite” chant.
“Working people have it harder and harder these days—and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite,” she said.
The quote appeared to be a riff on the last lines of the 1848 political document, which are frequently translated from German as “Workers of the world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains!” Communist regimes in the last century were responsible for the murder of more than 100 million people—including tens of millions murdered by the Soviet Union, according to The New York Times.
Julia Reichert of “American Factory”: “Working people have it harder and harder these days—and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.” https://t.co/bffyIA57Vs #Oscars pic.twitter.com/iGXuSP7Ua4
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 10, 2020
Netflix’s “American Factory” comes from Higher Ground, the production company of the former president and his wife Michelle Obama. It tells the story of a Chinese company occupying a shuttered General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio.
Former President Obama tweeted out his congratulations to the filmmakers during the Oscar ceremony.
Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release. https://t.co/W4AZ68iWoY
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 10, 2020
The rating for 2020 Academy Awards Oscars broadcast dropped 20 percent from last year and 11 percent from the previous all-time low, with 23.6 million viewers tuned in to watch on Sunday, Feb. 9.
By comparison, the 2018 rating was a disastrous 26.5 million viewers and the lowest at the time.
In 2019 the ratings increased slightly to 29.6 million viewers. But this year is at an all-time low at 23.6 million viewers.
But, the Oscars aren’t the only entertainment awards to experience declining ratings. The Emmys, Golden Globes, and Grammys have also suffered losses, Variety reported.
As CNSNews.com reported, the survey revealed that viewers were turning off awards shows because of their political preaching: 74% of likely voters said they watch live sports and entertainment shows, like the AMAs, “to get away from politics and do not want to be bombarded with partisan political messages,” and 43% said they’re less like to watch such shows because they’ve gotten too political.
