In case you missed it — like the vast majority of Americans did with last year’s Academy Awards — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Wednesday announced a few changes to the Academy Awards, including the addition of a new category: “outstanding achievement in popular film.”
Details on the award are forthcoming, but it appears the Academy is carving out a special award for movies that the public has actually seen in order to draw viewers back to that horrible awards show.
Actor Rob Lowe mourned the death of the film industry in a somber tweet:
The film business passed away today with the announcement of the “popular” film Oscar. It had been in poor health for a number of years. It is survived by sequels, tent-poles, and vertical integration.
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 8, 2018
It really does sort of boggle the mind that Hollywood can’t figure out how to make films that are both popular and artsy, yet they’ll never tire of shoveling money into a sure-fire flop/sure-fire Oscar nominee like that Ruth Bader Ginsburg biography.
If the purpose of this addition was to make the Oscar telecast a higher audience draw (as I've read), I predict it will backfire.
— Janet Stilson (@JanetStilson) August 8, 2018
It's clearly some weak sauce attempt at grabbing more ratings and viewers, but honestly, it makes me less interested in anything they have to say or offer.
— Nick Michalak (@RavensFilm) August 8, 2018
Yep. And they'll double down on the political finger-wagging speeches, because they're so insulated in their bubble they don't realize that's why people stopped watching.
Hollywood is an escape. People don't want a lecture when they're trying to forget their worries.
— Duke Selden (@DukeSelden) August 8, 2018
“Outstanding Popular film?” The Oscars are basically creating an attendance award. Ugh.
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) August 8, 2018
The new Oscars "Best Popular Film" category signals the official death of film as an art form. The popular and the artistic have now diverged to the point of categorical difference.
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) August 8, 2018
I was opposed to adding Best Popular Picture as a category, initially, but now that I realize it’s just another way to dunk on the Oscars I am totally for it. Objection withdrawn, your honor.
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) August 8, 2018
Ben Shapiro also weighed in:
The Oscar announcement today is a final recognition that Hollywood hates its consumers: they're recognizing that they'll never reward popular films, and those films exist only to allow them to make unpopular prestige pics they can virtue signal about at cocktail parties.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 8, 2018
Who told!
You’re just now figuring that out???♀️
— ??????USA?????? (@TeddMcc) August 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/NickHammer18/status/1027274613246455808
Isn’t that the TV show where Meryl Streep called Harvey Weinstein “God”?
IF ONLY they would reserve the virtue signaling for the cocktail parties.
— PJ Boyle (@PJforAmerica) August 8, 2018
Industry on life support & actors insulting their customers.
— Chris Comeau (@cookinthecar) August 8, 2018
wait.. people still watch the Oscars?
— Súile gorm (@225Kristen) August 8, 2018
Uh oh: Some media outlets have stumbled upon the “Black Panther” conundrum:
Oscars Slammed by Film Journalists for Creating ‘Best Popular Film’ Category, Especially in the Year of #BlackPanther https://t.co/m21t0DK5zW pic.twitter.com/irleRtYa2w
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) August 8, 2018
What if a movie like "Black Panther," which many see as a legitimate best picture contender, receives a nomination for the populist Oscar but not for best overall picture?
https://t.co/QqgSROCb66— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 8, 2018
We’ll see … stay tuned to see which films are nominated for the “outstanding achievement in popular film” award.
Editor’s note: “Black Panther” is not a legitimate best picture contender. It was OK.
Related:
UH OH! Rob Lowe's picture with Sarah Sanders triggers lefty Resistance horde https://t.co/qW0LOwyZv2
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 12, 2018
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