Enough Already, Give AMPAS a Break

You know, I’ve never been one to defend the sometimes silly decisions AMPAS makes, but reading all of the post-game stuff is a bit tiresome. Yes, the show got the worst ratings ever. No, it wasn’t a great show. Yes, it was probably Plan B after all. Here is Patrick Goldstein giving his suggestions as to how to get more eyeballs to tune in:

Our family’s version of the Oscars, thanks to the magic of TiVo, didn’t drag a bit. If academy chieftain Sid Ganis is going to staunch the bleeding, he needs to put the telecast under the knife. Although I’m sure it will cause a firestorm inside the academy, the technical awards — sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects, makeup and costume design — have to go. No one outside of the academy wants to hear acceptance speeches from people they’ve never heard of, no matter how heartfelt. The Oscars may have once been a celebration of craft, but the world has changed. Today’s audience wants a horse race. The show is just bad TV.