In a press release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, better known as those guys and gals who make up the voting body for the Oscars, it was announced that there are two big changes coming to the annual awards show, starting this year.
They are as follows: for the first time in over a decade, a new category will be added to the line-up: Best Popular Film, and the awards show will now have a strict time limit of three hours, meaning some awards will be presented in an edited version during commercial breaks. Also, current Academy president John Bailey was re-elected for a second term. But let’s get back to what’s important.
As an avid Oscar fan, I have only one thing to say about these two new additions: what a joke. First off, the new category is there for two reasons: as a cop-out so blockbusters don’t have to take up a Best Picture slot, and also as a vain attempt to get their ever-sinking ratings up. I fear moves like this will take the Oscars in the wrong direction. They will cease to be the coveted, top award that everyone shoots for and become a knock-off of the People’s Choice Awards.
Also, I am taken aback by the decision to cut the presentation of some awards and acceptance speeches to what will probably end up being a matter of seconds. Without a doubt the short categories, sound categories, stuff like that, will be the victims here, and it’s unfair for the winners and nominees to not have the same chance as those nominated in the bigger categories at acceptance speeches and recognition in general.
What makes this worse is the fact that this was not reportedly decided from within the Academy, at least not one hundred percent. Variety followed up not long after the initial press report that ABC, the network that hosts the Oscars, recommended these changes, evidently very strongly. It’s a shame that the most prestigious awards group out there can be so easily bullied into making such a shameful decision.
Now it’s easy for me to say this since I’m not in the Academy, and I don’t have to worry about viewership or ratings, but I recently asked the editor of this site to be an Oscar consultant for this year, and that will be the case, so look for some articles in the next couple weeks previewing this year’s Oscar race.
The big point here is this could flip the future Oscar race on its head if there’s a big revolt. If we begin to see the small films and other minor categories’ nominees and potential nominees begin to boycott the academy or something to that nature happens, ala a new #oscarssowhite, that will make a big impact on the awards race this year, and potentially change how the Academy is viewed in the future.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
