Over at The Huffington Post, I just asked whether we need to divide male and female performances into separate categories, and whether documentaries, animated films, and short films should be separate from full-length, live-action features.
Let me know what you think!
4 responses so far ↓
1 sam // Jan 22, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Yes! At least actress/actor. God, can you imagine what would happen if it were just five acting nominations? The Academy has often given the female nods to unworthy, b.s. choices, while, it seems, intentionally overlooking stronger performances. I could honestly see them giving all five noms to actors or just with one nom going to an actress, and then trying to justify it with some b.s..
That would be a nightmare.
2 Elizabeth // Jan 23, 2009 at 2:36 am
I am among those who will argue long and hard to combine the two acting categories. It’s the same job, whether you’re a man or a woman. Ergo…
3 ferretrick // Jan 23, 2009 at 9:43 am
I disagree. Acting is one of the few areas where it is NOT the same job, because men and women are different, the roles are written different and require different skills, and rightly so. Just to take an example off the top of my head-look at Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster-two actors giving arguably the best performances of their careers. But Hopkins is showy-the role calls for a scary-as-fuck crazy pyschopath. Foster’s underplaying it, as her role calls for. Both performances were essential to the film-but if there’s only one category, Foster isn’t getting nominated.
I’d argue for more categories-including separate drama/comedy noms, on the same principle. Drama and comedy are different and call for different skills. And its just natural that drama gets recognition much more often.
4 Collin H // Jan 23, 2009 at 10:15 am
The concept of giving an award to someone for being the best actor (or actress) in a year kind of ridiculous to begin with. With acting being so subjective, how does one decide who did the best job? Is there a point scale that they use?
Combining the fields would make the process even more inscrutable. I think rather than narrow the number of awards given down, it should be increased. What I would like to see is a larger number of people nominated in each category, and have three people each take home statues. Maybe change the award name from Best Actor to something better reflecting the achievement, like “Outstanding Performance” or the like.
But hey, I’m not in the Academy, so what do I know?
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