People Are Getting Salty Over The New ‘Popular’ Movie Oscar

"I would have voted for Black Panther for Best Popular Film twice if I could have." pic.twitter.com/sYc6l9rXXV

— Ross Miller (@rosstmiller) August 8, 2018

On Wednesday, the 54-member Board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved some changes to the next Oscars telecast in response to ABC’s request to boost ratings. ABC is paying $75 million per year until 2028 for the broadcast rights, yet last years’ Oscars telecast was watched by nearly 40% fewer people than at its peak in 2014.

Among the announced changes, the one that has people jeering and jesting the most is the Academy’s new “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film” category. Some of the reactions were somber, with Rob Lowe tweeting, “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.”

Most reactions were jokes, however. For example, Rob Lowe followed up his serious tweet with a self-deprecating reference to his maligned musical performance in the all-around terrible 1989 telecast.

Seriously, this “best pop movie” category is the worst idea the Academy has had since they asked me to sing with Snow White.

— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 9, 2018

Many people reacted to the announcement by pitching other new categories for your consideration:

Other new categories:
-Best movie where shit blowed up good.
-Hottest female alien
– Best back flip to avoid a thrown knife
-Best knife throw
-Best “you thought he was dead but now he’s back and REALLY kicking ass” https://t.co/LI61qULdC9

— Adam McKay (@GhostPanther) August 8, 2018

BEST/MOST QUIET WIFE
BEST CHRIS IN A MOVIE
BEST ORIGINAL SONG ON RADIO DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN A MOVIE
BEST ONE ASIAN IN FILM
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN MICHAEL BAY MOVIE TITTYS
BEST PERIOD FILM (MOVIE THAT HAS PERIOD JOKES)
ZAC EFRON ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR BEST MASC DRAG PERFORMANCE

— Matt Rogers (@MattRogersTho) August 8, 2018

Finally! pic.twitter.com/IEbnQ17Z4v

— Tim “The Boat Man” Taylor (@pixelatedboat) August 8, 2018

Most Popular Film. Film King and Film Queen. Film Most Likely to Succeed. Film Clown. Most Athletic Film. Cutest Couple of Films. Film of the Party.

— Michael Sicinski (@msicism) August 8, 2018

New Oscar category for making me feel like I'm in 6th grade again and can't afford Guess Jeans https://t.co/p6tNL24YBR pic.twitter.com/EukfTzMJzH

— Amy Nicholson (@TheAmyNicholson) August 8, 2018

2018: The Academy announces a new award for "Popular Film”!

2020: The Academy announces a new award for “Best Cinematic Universe!"

2022: The Academy announces a new award for “TV Shows that Feel Like 10-Hour Movies!"

2024: The Academy announces that “gifs are the new cinema!”

— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) August 8, 2018

Some suggested new names for the Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film instead:

The full name of the new Oscar is "Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film Made for Dummies Who Don't Appreciate the Transcendent Magic of Cinéma And Would Rather Watch a Bunch of CGI Monsters Punch Each Other For 90 Minutes Than Experience A Film About Common, Ordinary People"

— Greg (@waltisfrozen) August 8, 2018

Awarding films for their outstanding popularity?! Congrats to the producers of the Not Good Enough For Best Picture Consideration award, which will get buried in the soft pile of hundreds of millions of box office dollars. https://t.co/eMWYJtP973

— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) August 8, 2018

And the Oscar for Best Achievement in Pandering goes to … https://t.co/2U0uRZEh59

— Justin Chang (@JustinCChang) August 8, 2018

Others took shots at the whole conceit of the three-hour broadcast:

BREAKING: So excited that the Academy is going to hand out the new Popular Movie #Oscars award during its own tv spot in the middle of a Super Bowl ad break, thus assuring the biggest possible audience for it.

— James Schamus (@JamesSchamus) August 8, 2018

THE ACADEMY: [airs Oscars that include laborious and incomprehensible "visiting normal people at a movie screening" bit]
THE ACADEMY: Our ceremony is too long because of all the awards

— Daniel D'Addario (@DPD_) August 8, 2018

And, of course, Black Panther is still a main topic of discussion regarding this new award. It’s been two years since #OscarsSoWhite started trending, and it doesn’t seem like the Academy’s PR decisions have improved much in that time.

It truly is something that in the year Black Panther, a movie made just about entirely by and with black people, grosses $700 million, the Academy's reaction is, "We need to invent something separate…but equal."

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) 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

JUST NOMINATE BLACK PANTHER FOR BEST PICTURE YOU COWARDS

— Molly Freeman (@mollyrockit) August 8, 2018

So they're really that scared to not give an Oscar to Black Panther, huh https://t.co/ipCuPHYv8Q

— Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) August 8, 2018

As for a "popular film" award, it is a ghetto and will be perceived that way. Imagine if they instituted it this year: "Oh, It's lovely that the rabble went to Black Panther–here's a special fake Oscar it can win!" This is just a head-slapper on all counts.

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) 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

congratulations to Black Panther on winning whatever this Oscar is and nothing else

— kateyrich (@kateyrich) August 8, 2018

The Academy is going to be so confused when people aren't happy that they gave Black Panther their newly invented Consolation Prize Oscar.

— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) August 8, 2018

Plenty of people poked fun at the idea of a “popular movie” award being a thing at all, what that implies about the other categories, and various topics.

a prize for popular films already exists and it's called money

— erin “my wonderful son” ryan (@morninggloria) August 8, 2018

You know what doesn't get enough recognition? Extremely popular films.

— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) August 8, 2018

Finally the Oscars will be giving a statue based on popularity so that those poor mountains of box office money won’t be lonely anymore

— Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) August 8, 2018

Here's the ten highest-grossing films, when accounting for inflation aka America's most "popular" films. Every single one was either nominated for or won Best Picture with the exception of "Snow White," which was given an honorary Oscar. Popular films are films! pic.twitter.com/8wIB0NGyLh

— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) August 8, 2018

I was just saying Hollywood needs to be encouraged more officially to focus more on box office, less on quality https://t.co/X9Z3ozmOFh

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 8, 2018

The Oscars have been called irrelevant since the start. Committing to their principles (i.e. not "popularity") has kept them alive. It's like if Jeopardy! added a multiple choice round. More people would know answers at home but do you really want to win Multiple Choice Jeopardy?

— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) August 8, 2018

“The Oscars are creating a special category for Outstanding Popular Film” is the most withering insult I’ve ever heard

— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) August 8, 2018

#TheAcademy out here like "Ugh fine, peasants. We'll acknowledge your superhero movies but not with a REAL Oscar."

— Donna Dickens (@MildlyAmused) August 8, 2018

Just give Kevin Feige an honorary Oscar and move on.

— Matt Patches (@misterpatches) August 8, 2018

Hearing from so many millenials today who cannot wait to watch the Oscars now.

— billy eichner (@billyeichner) August 8, 2018

Whether you think the new best popular film #Oscar category is a good idea or not, it’s clear that @TheAcademy does one thing well consistently: getting the media to revile it 24/7 https://t.co/wTKezicxZR

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceRFeldman) August 8, 2018

(Hat tip to Variety, The Playlist, and Deadline Hollywood)

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