The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has been on a quest for relevancy, and one of their ideas to engage a broader (and younger) audience appears to have run off course.
Earlier this year, AMPAS announced a brand new Oscar category — “Popular film.”
Critics argued the category would look like pandering, bestowing the highest Hollywood honor to undeserving blockbusters.
Another argument was that films such as Black Panther, which many feel deserves a Best Picture nod, would be boxed into the less prestigious category.
But the idea may not be dead and buried quite yet.
“There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We have made changes to the Oscars over the years — including this year — and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years.”
One of those changes this year is to present certain awards (a.k.a. the ones that don’t involve famous people) during commercial breaks, shortening the telecast to a breezy 3 hours.
Ratings for the 2018 ceremony were at an all-time low, down 19% from 2017.
The 91st Oscars will be awarded on Feb. 24, 2019.
Scout
The Oscars received their lowest TV ratings since they’ve televised the proceedings. Shortening the length of the show will help, but the biggest complaints surround their passionate political rants. People who are willing to put up with all the commercials till midnight, do not want to be subjected to Anti-Trump or #Me Too rhetoric. They want to be entertained and find out which movies they’ve seen win Oscars, plain and simple.
graphicjack
I’m fine with the political rants, actually. Bring them on. It’s far more interesting than weak jokes and fake banter between celebrities with only a passing acquaintance with each other, or pointless ‘pat on the back’ movie montage moments that last 7 minutes. If they cut out a lot of that crap, I’d be far more interested. I still watch them, but that, to me, are the worst parts of the broadcast.
OzJosh
The Oscars started as industry-based awards, not a television show. For the first twenty-plus years it wasn’t televised. There wasn’t television. If they want to retain respect and prestige, they need to remember this – and stop being pressured into chasing ratings.
startenout
I don’t mind politics. It’s their chance to use living their lives under a virtual microscope to actually affect good in the world.
Bravo, all you little Susan Sarandons!
rray63
While I am a Dem. is that fair to the people that watch that are movie fans but not fans of the political speeches? I know, you’ll tell them not to watch, right? But again, is that fair to people that just love movies? You and I know that in some cases, the stars spit in the faces of the very people that pay them the extraordinary salaries they get. At the very least they could find a way to shorten those speeches. Cut to someone picking their nose and just have an announcer describe the booger. It would at least give us a laugh at that point.
inbama
As much as I despise Trump, he didn’t need the theme of the show.
Heck, Hollywood helped get America through the Great Depression by providing ESCAPISM.
rray63
Someone tell me why Black Panther deserves a nomination for an Academy Award as Best Picture? Aside from the fact that is was the first 99.9% all black film to make over a billion dollars. Is that the new qualification, it wins because of race, which is insulting to blacks, or it’s because of the money it made, in which case Avengers should win and we should change it to Top Grossing Film of the Year. None of those seem like good things to me. Hollywood claims it wants to be more diverse, if Black Panther is their idea of more diverse, they really should look up what the definition of that word is. It was an okay film but not Oscar worthy. For that matter Avengers was not Oscar worthy. Maybe if the new Halloween movie does over 100 million we can give it Best Picture, because we have slashed what being a good movie means into ribbons. Okay, call me racist and such.
hank123
rray63, no… you’re not racist, just ignorant, or forgetful, especially with this thought: “Hollywood claims it wants to be more diverse, if Black Panther is their idea of more diverse, they really should look up what the definition of that word is.” In your white world, this movie was not that groundbreaking. We get that. But to many people this movie was incredible, and touched a nerve. In black culture now, “Wakanda” is a thing. I’m guessing you’re young, and weren’t around for the DECADES where it was something just to have a black person in a movie cast (who wasn’t playing a slave, maid, hooker, or criminal). Trust that Black Panther -will- get a Best Picture nomination (now that the best picture list is more than 5 entries), and it will be because of the story, the acting, the special effects, and the world this movie describes that so many African-Americans wish were reality.
rray63
By the way, there is an awards show for regular folks like us, it’s called The People’s Choice Awards and voting is underway right now. I’ve already voted for all my favorites. Why don’t you folks do the same thing. The Oscars has become so politically motivated anymore that it sometimes doesn’t have anything to do with the “best” of anything.
Scout
Totally agree with you!
inbama
No.
The awards show for PEOPLE LIKE US is the Tonys.
Ari
Poorly written article. I don’t see the part that says the Oscars have officially ditched the idea, except for the title of article.