The Oscars: More Human

I'm going to continue a theme that I've seen running so far this year during all the event television we've been experiencing in pop culture.  Event television meaning these big live events that people watch together on television, either in the same room together or while using social media together or both.

These are "events" because they're live and in the moment and aren't being recorded for future viewing.
You either watch it in the moment and participate or you miss out on the "water cooler chatter," in real time.  It's been great fun ... Golden Globes, Super Bowl, Grammys, Oscars.  Of course all the YouTube videos the next day help to relive the most memorable moments.

Like when Ellen ordered pizza at the Oscars.  Or Julia Louise-Dreyfus did a skit with Tina and Amy at the Golden Globes.  Or when Renee Fleming sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

Have you noticed that these events have gotten so much more human?  The quest for viewer engagement and the inclusion of the viewer in the viewing has made these events not only so much more fun but also more real.  We get a snapshot of what these people are really like, and we like them in the process.

Like the sheer joy on Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts' faces in Ellen's now record-breaking selfie from the Oscars.  Or the self-deprecating laugh when Jennifer Lawrence took a stumble on the red carpet.  Or the look of pride when Sara Bareilles sang with Carol King at the Grammys.

While these moments are in fact fabricated for our television and commenting pleasure, they are also real and in the moment, making them all the more special and shareable.  The celebrities are sharing them in real time as well, recording their reactions just like we are.  Doesn't get more human than that!

And the brands have gotten in on the action as well, with hashtag overload seeking to make the marketing more real and real time.

Pantene went into overdrive at the Oscars with #WantThatHair ... leveraging a universal emotion of hair envy, not just from the women I might add.  The brand delivered tips on how to get the look and how to love your own hair in the process.  There's nothing more real than hair issues, the brand will tell you that for sure.

DiGiorno Pizza has kept up its flow of Twitter chatter from event to event, never disappointing.  If only it had been DiGiorno that Ellen handed out to the celebrity studded audience ... that would have been amazing!  Nothing more unifying than a good ole' pizza.

This is a trend I'm really enjoying.  Not just the event television part, although I do really like that.  It's the human part that is really making it all so much more real and interesting and yes, shareable.

What's your experience?  JIM.

PS - This post was also posted on Huffington Post!