Award show season is officially here and celebrities are beginning their award campaigns by going on a series of press tours. These tours can include anything from a structured GQ interview to an on-the-street style interview from internet celebrities like Brittany Broski—I’m looking at you Timothee Chalamet.
In recent years, the term press tour has become synonymous with viral clips of celebrities being rude to their interviewer and clips of cute moments between cast members, which serves as fan service most of the time rather than offering any commentary on the film, and of course the more serious actor-on-actor interview.
You may be wondering, “What on earth it is that these press tours achieve anyway?” It’s unlikely that people will go see a film because of a silly, viral clip they see on TikTok, so why do I keep seeing people “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” everywhere? Surely that didn’t convince people to go see “Wicked,” because it didn’t convince me.
Press tours, in an ideal world, serve as a way for actors to promote their upcoming films and encourage audiences, who might not otherwise have gone to see the film, to go to theaters and watch it. It’s really no wonder that the press tour has evolved over time to include internet shows like Hot Ones or Chicken Shop Date.
These internet shows have become one of the necessary stops on tours for the wide range of audiences it’s able to secure. But not only has the platform changed from cable networks over to the internet, but the intended audience has changed as well.
Generation Z culture has seeped into mainstream media as younger actors like Chalamet or Zendaya have solidified themselves into our cultural climate. We now see interviews featuring shoutouts to Nicki Minaj’s “Roman’s Revenge” from Chalamet when talking to Nardwaur about his most recent film “A Complete Unknown.”
Even stranger are Chalemet’s other destinations in this Academy Awards campaign. He’s been to marching band rehearsals, on ESPN during a college game, showing up to his own lookalike contest, and now he’s hosted and been the musical guest for “SNL.”
Press tours are ineffective because they don’t serve their intended function. Instead of press tours being used to tempt potential audiences into seeing the film in theaters, they are used more as a way for celebrities to further their personal brand.
Take for instance how Tom Holland and Zendaya have presented themselves as very couple-y in their interviews. This furthers their brand as being a wholesome celebrity couple and keeps audiences invested in their future.
Seasoned actors seem to be tired of the cut-and-paste style interview where they are asked the same questions over and over again by an interviewer just looking to get a viral moment to post on the corporate TikTok account. Some actors like Cillian Murphy seem to hate the idea of a press tour entirely and don’t even really bother to engage with the stale questions.
On the more negative side of things, there are viral clips from these tours that range from cringe to outright insulting interviews. Take for instance the interview wherein Blake Lively insults her interviewer after she brings up her pregnancy belly. Because these interviews serve as a way for celebrities to cultivate a brand for themselves, why act disrespectfully?
Press tours are ultimately ineffective in their intended purpose. Audiences aren’t convinced to go see a film because of how an actor talks about it. They are however effective in the sense that they allow celebrities to further their personal branding and increase their number of fans.