Stop trying to fix the Oscars: A plea to ABC and the Motion Picture Academy

Vulture

"What if we didn’t fix the Oscars?" says Bilge Ebiri. "What if we didn’t even try? Because, frankly, the people who take it upon themselves to fix the Oscars keep making the situation worse. Every year, the folks behind the show — some combination, I assume, of the event’s producers, the Academy, and ABC — come up with all sorts of foolish ideas designed to solve what are sometimes imaginary problems. This year, they’ve outdone themselves. First, in an effort to get more blockbusters into the mix, they announced some bizarre popular-choice scenario in which people from Twitter (never a good idea) will vote on their favorite movie. (That movie will then proceed to … not get an Oscar? But be mentioned, somehow? Whatever, I’m sure it will be super-exciting.) And (on Tuesday), they announced that they’re going to shunt off to the side eight whole categories, including Best Original Score and Best Editing, which will be awarded during a preshow ceremony that will not be broadcast live. (They tried a variation on this silly proposal a few years ago, but outcry from both the public and the industry thankfully scuttled the plan.) Hilariously, a couple of those disappeared awards might actually go to some popular choices. Hans Zimmer, a man whose concerts regularly fill stadiums and arenas all across the planet, is heavily favored to win Best Score for Dune this year." Ebiri adds that change isn't necessarily a bad thing, "but many of the bizarre annual efforts to reorganize and streamline the program itself and make it more 'popular' have felt not just disastrous but downright hostile. It’s hard to tell if such decisions are being driven by people who hate movies (like, say, TV executives) or people who simply hate themselves (like, well, artists). The thinking behind these efforts does have a whiff of self-loathing to it, doesn’t it?"

ALSO:

• Former Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel appeared unbothered by the changes, while Jimmy Fallon questioned the "insulting" cuts: “This year, the Oscars are planning to prerecord some awards before the ceremony and air them during the live broadcast,” Fallon said on Wednesday's Tonight Show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Even more insulting, before the awards are presented, the announcer will say, ‘And now, the categories nobody cares about.'” Meanwhile, two-time Oscars host Kimmel listed the eight categories that would be cut and quipped: “It does feel ironic for the editors to be cut out of the show.” He added:  “How could they do this? I mean, who could forget that magical moment back in 1975 when Ronald Pierce and Melvin Metcalfe won best sound for Earthquake. You know?”
• Oscars' decision to present eight categories before the ceremony was met with backlash: “It’s complete fiasco,” one affected Academy member told The Hollywood Reporter of the decision. “It’s another example of the Academy bowing to the network. There are a lot of very unhappy people.” Added another: “I am offended and insulted by the Academy’s decision to relegate eight categories to an inferior position at the awards this year. … It’s absurd and the leadership should be ashamed.” As Variety reports, "a week ago, Oscar nominees from branches including editing, sound, and makeup and hair were invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a virtual town hall. They assumed, according to one individual who attended the Tuesday event, that the meeting was being called to discuss COVID-19 protocols for Hollywood’s biggest night. Instead, they were informed that their categories would not air live on the telecast..."
• Josh Gad reveals he turned down the chance to co-host the Oscars: "Had the chance to cohost this year's Oscars & passed because it didn't feel right for me," Gad tweeted Wednesday. "I believe this team has the right intentions & I love that they want 2 do something new & different. I trust them. I would however rethink sidelining the craft awards as they deserve 2 shine."
• The eight pre-taped awards are expected to be edited into the live broadcast in a seamless way: "Sources close to the Academy say the viewers at home won’t be able to distinguish between the live feed and the edited package that will likely be used as bumpers and other forms of transitions between segments and hosts," reports Variety's Clayton Davis. "This is similar to what the Tony Awards and other televised awards ceremonies have been doing to recognize technical achievements and various other artisans." Davis adds that the A-list nominees are expected to still be on the red carpet while the eight categories are being handed out inside the Dolby Theatre.
• Is it a bad sign that Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall were named as co-hosts six weeks before the Oscars?: The Academy deserves credit for actually having hosts for the first time in four years. "But I wonder whether the academy has missed the mark," says Kyle Buchanan. "This trio feels like a lineup imported from 2015 — when Schumer was still riding high off her big-screen comedy Trainwreck — instead of one that has any meaningful relationship to the year 2022. And the three women were announced awfully late in the game: Just days before their Feb. 15 unveiling, the academy was still in negotiations to add Jon Hamm as a fourth host. If the Oscars really want hosts who will encourage people to tune in, they should start locking them in a year in advance, since big stars like Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds need that kind of lead time to start clearing their schedules. Instead, the academy typically starts its search after a producer is hired — and this year’s producer, Will Packer, wasn’t announced until October. That’s way too late to begin booking A-listers."