Picture: KEVIN WINTER / Getty Images
Kicking tradition to the curb, the Academy has controversially decided to eliminate four categories from live broadcast of the 91st Oscars.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the price of best movies, movie editing, live action cards and makeup and hairstyles will be presented during commercial breaks, not during the broadcast as usual.
The plan to present during commercial breaks was allegedly formulated by the Academy's board in August, but exactly which categories had not been decided on then.
So now we know. Although the cuts are supposedly intended to shorten the show – 24 prizes in three hours – the anger has many describing it as disrespectful.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, who took the best picture and best director water shape in 2018, said cinematography and editing in particular "is the heart of our craft … they are cinema." His film was nominated for both categories last year.
If I can: I wouldn't suppose to suggest which categories should be cut during the Oscars show, but – Cinematography and editing are the very heart of our craft. They are not inherited from a theatrical tradition or a literary tradition: they are cinema.
– Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 12, 2019
Others jumped to criticize the decision, calling it "reprehensible".
The Oscar's are being shit to be an elitist, but they are one of the only prizes to show that TV winners in the craft categories. This decision is reprehensible. Shame on the academy. Shame on ABC. If you don't love a 3-hour Oscars, you don't love the Oscar. https://t.co/zSNOTDHhSQ
– Chris Schleicher (@cschleichsrun) February 11, 2019
Cinematography and movie editing made movie cuts to an art form in film history. The academy did a terrible thing for denying the core of the visual media. #Oscars
– Nam Myoung-Hee (@worrynet) February 12, 2019
Even without the host's heating number and monologue taking time, do they still feel they need to remove them from the live broadcast? Disgraceful. These categories were their only time to shine.
– Jon Forsythe and Vote November 6th (@JonJForsythe) February 12, 2019
Let's apply @TheAcademys logic, (in the decommissioning of 4 categories for commercial breaks) for last year's Oscar ceremony.
1. Cinematography:
Roger Deakin finally wins after 13 losses. He gets a standing ovation.
"I really love my job. I've been doing it for a long time as you can see." pic.twitter.com/mu39FnPJUM– Rhett Bartlett (@dialmformovies) February 11, 2019
Academy President John Bailey announced the decision to keep prices rolling in the ads' interruption in a membership's email on Monday, reports THR.
"Academy Awards viewing patterns are changing rapidly in our current multimedia world, and our show is also evolving to continue promoting films to a worldwide audience," he wrote.
Bailey said the four categories will be streamed online in collaboration with ABC and at Oscar.com and the Academy's social channels.
He also said that the four categories could rotate in the coming years and that those who were elected this year will be guaranteed a place on live television next year. The speakers from the four ad-break winners can fly later in the broadcast even though it was supposed to be editable on time.
The cuts are the latest in a number of unpopular messages by the academy, including the announcement of the popular movie category and the possible limitation of the notions of the original song nominants – this has since been withdrawn, with all nominees saying to perform (though Kendrick Lamar and SZA have not confirmed a performance of "all the stars").
All that is beyond the turmoil of Kevin Hart's hosting, with a number of old homophobic tweets from the star, leading him down the record, and the academy deciding to go hostless for this year's ceremony.
In addition, the Academy shook feather in January with rumors of abandoning a long-standing presentation tradition. It is custom to invite the best actor and best actress winners to present the award to the following year's recipients – the same goes for best supporting actress and actor.
When I'm Tonya The star and best supporting actress Allison Janney expressed his disappointment that he was not in the 2019 ceremony, the Academy seemed to take its decision back by confirming last year's winners, including Janney, as presenters.
Last year, Allison Janney, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman and Sam Rockwell had read their names from an envelope, and they brought home Oscar gold.
This year they will help make more dreams come true.
We are excited to announce that they will be presenters of this year's show. #Oscars
– Academy (@TheAcademy) February 7, 2019
The 91. Academy Awards will take place on February 24th. Whether the academy goes back to its decision on categories in commercial breaks, is still seen at that time.
But of course, it's not worth cutting big prizes, disrespecting industrial characters and generating public backlash just to cut the event's long-running event.
