2018-08-19

Gong clanger: the Oscars

① In recent years the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been on the defensive.

② When the #OscarsSoWhite diversity row erupted in 2015, it responded by expanding the voting pool to include more ethnic-minority and female industry professionals.

③ Last year, when accusations against Harvey Weinstein spawned #MeToo, it introduced new codes of conduct.

④ This week, with Oscar-ceremony viewership at an all-time low amid claims that the awards are out of touch with the average moviegoer, the organisation announced a new gong for "achievement in popular film".

⑤ That seems to have made things worse.

⑥ Though the terms of eligibility have not yet been announced, critics have decried the move, arguing that "best" and "popular" are not mutually exclusive and that the new category will serve to ghettoise films like "Black Panther", Marvel's Afrofuturist superhero hit.

⑦ Others simply consider it pointless.

⑧ "A prize for popular films already exists," one writer tweeted. "It's called money."