In their latest round of cosmetic surgery, the Oscars are once more hoping to make themselves seem livelier and more attractive by tinkering with the number of Best Picture nominees—and this time with the added element of surprise. The new rules now say that there can be anywhere from five to 10 nominees each year; it all depends on how many movies receive first-place votes on 5 percent of the total ballots cast. The fact that you won’t be able to predict what those wild, flirty Oscars will do should inject some spontaneity into the race, and as any relationship manual will tell you, spontaneity is the key to maintaining interest. With the Oscars now keeping you guessing right up until the nominations are announced, they hope to remind you of the awards show you fell in love with, before younger, flashier ceremonies started turning your head, and they were forced to resort to desperate measures like radical green-screen implants and having cheap affairs with James Franco.
Join the discussion...