Greening for the gold

This year's Academy Awards pushed the cause of global warming | Megan Basham

Much like the movies awarded in recent years, the 2006 Academy Awards did not prove to be a big draw with audiences. The telecast managed to show a slight increase—2 percent over last year's low ratings—but with only 23.3 percent of U.S. households tuning in, it nonetheless continued a ratings slump the Oscars have experienced since 2004.

Perhaps not coincidentally, 2004 also marked the high point of the academy's push toward celebrating films with culturally divisive themes that went unseen by the majority of Americans. Over the last three years these nominees have provided each ceremony a social cause that serves as a kind of mascot for the evening. During the 77th Academy Awards that theme was euthanasia, with Million Dollar Baby taking home the award for Best Picture and The Sea Inside winning for Best Foreign Film. While it didn't win for Best Picture, the 78th ceremony was generally seen as the year of gay rights thanks to both the media buzz surrounding Brokeback Mountain and the three major categories in which the movie triumphed.