The Academy’s new voting rules has pissed off several members.
Following the #OscarsSoWhite backlash due to the lack of diversity amongst this year’s Oscar nominations, The Academy has announced several new rules and regulations about voting rights. However, many people are not too happy about the new rules.
Under the new rules, members hwo have not worked across the span of thirty years after gaining membership will lose the right to cast Oscar ballots unless they’ve been nominated for an Oscar themselves.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, people are upset about the new voting rules. “As a member who has stepped partially away from the industry, it feels like someone like me is being victimized. I’m in the mentoring phase of my life — I teach — so I’m now supposed to not be relevant, even though I’m being as relevant, in working with young artists, as people who have current credits are. And, by the way, I’ve contributed a lot of time to the Academy as a judge for the Nicholl Fellowships and the Student Academy Awards. So basically they’re saying that I don’t matter anymore. It seems like this is a hastily put-together reaction to a firestorm.”
Another Academy Award member says the announcement is “bullshit”. Tab Hunter, 84, a member of the actors branch had this to say: “Obviously, it’s a thinly-veiled ploy to kick out older white contributors — the backbone of the industry — to make way for younger, ‘politically-correct’ voters. The Academy should not cave in to media hype and change the rules without talking to or getting votes from all members first.”
“Obviously, it’s a thinly-veiled ploy to kick out older white contributors — the backbone of the industry — to make way for younger, ‘politically-correct’ voters.”
Some people are praising the new new changes including Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma. “One good step in a long, complicated journey for people of color + women artists. Shame is a helluva motivator. We’ve all felt shame even when we didn’t believe we were wrong. It’s the fact that EVERYONE ELSE thinks you’re wrong. Fix it mode kicks in. Marginalized artists have advocated for Academy change for DECADES. Actual campaigns. Calls voiced FROM THE STAGE. Deaf ears. Closed minds. Whether it’s shame, true feelings, or being dragged kicking + screaming, just get it done. Because the alternative isn’t pretty.”
