The Oscars announce they are going to make some massive changes to the ceremony

Wil Jones

What do you think should win ‘Best Popular Film’?

The Oscars is arguably the most important and famous awards ceremony in the world.

But have you ever actually watched the ceremony in full? Ok, it is on in the middle of the night in the UK. But even then it is so, so, so long. And boring.

Not only that, but Academy voters have a history of making decisions that don’t really hold the test of time. Raging Bull lost to soppy drama Ordinary People. Pulp Fiction lost to Forrest Gump. Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar.

And then as well, there was the #OscarsSoWhite controversy a few years back.

So now The Academy have now announced that they are introducing some drastic changes to the ceremony.

Change is coming to the #Oscars. Here's what you need to know:

– A new category is being designed around achievement in popular film.
– We've set an earlier airdate for 2020: mark your calendars for February 9.
– We're planning a more globally accessible, three-hour telecast. pic.twitter.com/oKTwjV1Qv9

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) August 8, 2018

They outline three key changes that they plan to make:

First, making the ceremony a lot shorter, at three hours long (it normally goes four-plus hours). This has particularily annoyed people as cutting the length suggest that the technical awards – sound design, make-up etc – would be cut from the broadcast, denying these unsung heroes their one moment in the spotlight.

https://twitter.com/Phil_on_Film/status/1027215580343005184

We wait all year for the #Oscars. Don't shorten them. Don't steal our opportunity to celebrate, live, the achievements of hard-working, talented men and women whose jobs, while equally or more important, might not be as glamorous as those of the "beautiful people".

— Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) August 8, 2018

Secondly, moving it forward to February.

And most interestingly, adding an award for “achievement in popular film”. What does that mean, exactly? Here’s one award for arthouse thing only snooty critics like, and one for some lowbrow superhero stuff?