Even though the Oscars have never exactly been a meritocracy (Argo won best picture), they've maintained an aversion to flash, pop and comedy in all forms in favour of "quality." Until a few days ago, that is. The Academy announced in a letter to their members that "We will create a new category for outstanding achievement in popular film. Eligibility requirements and other key details will be forthcoming." The category has brought elitists everywhere out of the woodwork to bemoan the death of film as art (again, really? Argo won best picture). Rob Lowe tweeted:
He revealed a sense of humour about the whole thing in a later tweet, saying: "Seriously, this “best pop movie” category is the worst idea the Academy has had since they asked me to sing with Snow White." If you don't know what he's talking about, please educate yourself here.
Others were not as devastated. Mark Wahlberg, for one, is happy that he's now way more likely to win an oscar:
Maybe if they’d had the category before, we’d have won a couple of them. We’ve had some really commercially successful films that we think certainly warranted that kind of notoriety. We make films that we want people to enjoy and if we get those kind of accolades, fantastic. If not, we make the movies for audiences to enjoy.
One a more serious note, many are speculating that the real reason for the new category is more sinister. Journalist Mark Harris tweeted: