Why is the new “popular” Oscar category so unpopular?
And the prize for worst ever Oscars category goes to… the new one announced last week by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said Tim Robey in The Daily Telegraph. Next year, a prize will be awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film. The news was met with outrage by many in the industry. For some, it was pure snobbery: by shunting blockbusters into the “popular” category, the academy will ensure terrific films such as Black Panther will never win best picture. For others, it was dumbing down. “Blockbusters already have their rewards,” opined Ryan Gilbey in The Guardian. “It’s called money.”
Let’s not forget: the first Oscars ceremony, in 1929, gave two best picture awards – one for Outstanding Picture and another for Best Unique and Artistic Picture, said Olivia B. Waxman in Time magazine. Since then, changes to the format have tended to be made for political reasons. For example, the best supporting actor award was added in 1937 in the hope of luring more talent to the ceremony, after it had been boycotted by the industry unions.
The latest change is no different, said Caetlin Benson-allott in The Washington Post. By drawing a line between popular and prestige cinema, the academy is stirring up controversy in the hope of boosting ratings for the ceremony, which had record low viewing figures this year.
In any case, the assumption that the new category will be a lesser award than best picture is itself snobbish, said Dani di Placido in Forbes. Sure, films such as Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War don’t deliver complex messages about the meaning of life. Their aim is to “entertain, from start to finish”. Yet as artistic missions go, that’s “pretty damn difficult” – so why shouldn’t it get its own award?