In an effort to gain more viewers, the Academy Awards is trying to appeal to the masses by creating a new category for the most popular movie of the year. If you didn’t watch the awards show last year, you’re not alone. The 2018 Academy Awards was the lowest ranked telecast on record. Ouch.
Other measures that’ll be added to the Oscars this year include the promise of a shorter and more entertaining program that will only last three hours. The Oscars have always been unpredictable with their run time, with one memorable show in 2002 that ran for a whopping 4 hours and 20 minutes. In order to control the length of the program, the Academy announced that some of the awards will be skipped and that an edited clip of the winners will be aired later on in the broadcast.
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While it’s true that the Oscars need to adapt to a world where people no longer care about them, creating a new category for popular films doesn’t seem like the correct way to lure in more viewers. This new category will only contribute to the separation of prestige cinema and Blockbusters, implying that movies can’t simultaneously be popular and worthy of the proper recognition.
So…does that mean films like ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Mission Impossible’ can’t compete for Best Picture? https://t.co/ed4NfFcflX
— Stuart Oldham (@s_oldham) August 8, 2018
“The Black Panther Memorial Award for Movie That We’re Afraid Won’t Get a Best Picture Nomination”
— David Sims (@davidlsims) August 8, 2018
Best Popular Film? oof
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) August 8, 2018
Oscars designating a new award for “popular movies” just reiterates to its entire voting body and the world the inane conception that genre movies aren’t as good as dramatic! independent! films!
It’s “I guess Black Panther was fine, but it’s no The Artist. Now that’s a film!”
— Julia ? Alexander (@loudmouthjulia) August 8, 2018
Personally, this feels like a HUGE step back for genre film. Dark Knight, LOTR, District 9, Get Out, & Shape of Water broke the mindsets that scifi and fantasy could be considered BEST PICTURE. Does this new POPULAR category give snobbier members an out? https://t.co/CeMf7B1Cul
— Meredith Woerner (@MdellW) August 8, 2018
Giving an award to the most popular movie is sort of like giving an award to someone because you feel pity for them or something. You’re not the best movie of the year, you’re just the most popular one. Congratulations.
