Visitors crowd around a large Oscar statue which was being transported along the path to the Dolby Theatre, the site for the 85th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 21, 2013. The Oscars will be presented at the Dolby Theatre on February 24, 2013. (REUTERS/Adrees Latif)

It's the audience's fault.

Not collectively. It's more about individual choice.

So don't be afraid to look in the mirror if you think the Oscars broadcast has become clunky and boring. And I'm including myself here.

The thought struck me as I was pondering the 85th annual Academy Awards, which will air Sunday on ABC and CTV.

It has become a cliche to bitch about the Oscars. I have been a willing participant in that game.

But then I realized I have a part to play in it.

Thinking back, in the years when I've been well aware of most of the nominated films, and have seen the bulk of them, the Oscars didn't drag at all for me. Because I was invested in the results.

So the actual awards were interesting, notwithstanding the antics of the host, or the tributes to those who died, or the numbing dance numbers.

But on the occasions when I haven't been fully cognizant of the nominated films, the Oscars were a bad TV show that went on too long.