Oscars Hit An All-Time Low — Best Picture Oscar Nominees Must Meet ‘Representation And Inclusion Standards’

The Academy has announced new representation and inclusion standards for Best Picture nominees starting in 2024.

Yet another reason not to watch the Oscars! They have gone even more political.

They are already impossible to watch since the ceremony is always entirely too long and entirely too political. Add that to the fact that Hollywood has struggled for many years now to make good films since they seem to focus only on movies that appeal to 14-year-old boys.

Now the Academy has announced new criteria for a film to be nominated for Best Picture. No longer will the award purportedly be about the just the film, now it will also be about diversity and inclusion.

The Academy has announced these new guidelines and they are enormously proud of themselves. Such good liberals.

Change starts now. We've announced new representation and inclusion standards for Best Picture eligibility, beginning with the 96th #Oscars. Read more here: https://t.co/qdxtlZIVKb pic.twitter.com/hR6c2jb5LM

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) September 9, 2020

From The L.A. Times:

In the latest step in its ongoing effort to boost diversity both within its own ranks and across the film industry, on Tuesday the film academy announced new representation standards for films to be eligible to compete for best picture.

…

To be eligible for best picture, a film must meet at least two standards across four categories: “Onscreen Representation, Themes and Narratives,” “Creative Leadership and Project Team,” “Industry Access and Opportunities” and “Audience Development.” Within each category are a variety of criteria involving the inclusion of people in underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and those with cognitive or physical disabilities. (Other Oscar categories will not be held to these same standards, but the contenders for best picture typically filter down to other feature-length categories.)

I wonder if all-time great films like Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart, American Beauty, or The Departed would be eligible for the award under the ridiculous new rules. Apparently, it is questionable if some of the more recent award winners would have been eligible.

Indeed, some recent best picture nominees that featured almost exclusively white and male casts — including the World War I film “1917″ and the gangster epic “The Irishman” — might have had difficulty meeting the new onscreen standards. Those standards require one of the following: at least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group; at least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from certain underrepresented groups; or the main storyline, theme or narrative is centered on an underrepresented group.

Why doesn’t the Academy just take on the role of writing and casting all films??? Ben Shapiro’s reaction is spot on. He commented on Twitter, saying: “Honestly, they’re just making official what was already unofficial policy: every nominated movie has to be an SJW ode to an allegedly marginalized group.”

Some of Hollywood’s more conservative members (yes there are some) have reacted.

James Woods tweeted “Madness.”

So, comrades, here are the new mandatory requirements for Oscar eligibility for Best Picture. Fun game: pick any past Best Picture winner or nominee that would NOT qualify under these insane rules, e.g. The Godfather, Saving Private Ryan, etc. pic.twitter.com/cnAV5L8V3F

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 9, 2020

I deleted my first tweet about the new rules for best movie OSCARS because I feel it was a poor analogy & misrepresented my viewpoint. I am 100% behind diversity inclusion & tolerance. I’m opposed to MANDATED ARBITRARY percentages relating to hiring human beings in any business.

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020

Alley toned done her now-deleted initial reaction to the news in which she said, “This is a disgrace to artists everywhere…can you imagine telling Picasso what had to be in his [f***ing] paintings. You people have lost your minds. Control artists, control individual thought .. OSCAR ORWELL.”

I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of UNBRIDLED artistry expressed through movies. The new RULES to qualify for “best picture” are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own ass

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020

How about we judge on this criteria–
which film was the BEST PICTURE?

(also, when do we start handing out participation Oscars?) https://t.co/UX1IBfgpRC

— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) September 9, 2020

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