If You (They) Ran the Academy…

David Carr started it, then Jeff Wells joined in. How would they change things this year if they ran the Academy? Some of their observations are good, some are better left on the cutting room floor, seriously. It shows you how difficult it must be to either run the Academy or be a member. At any rate, if I could change things I wouldn’t really comment on their choices (although it would be nice if the Dark Knight had come in and shaken things up; it’s way too easy a win for Slumdog) but I would change the rules a bit.

First, require that the voters see all of the nominated films so that when they vote in each category they do so from as objective a position as possible. Second, I would release the voting counts. Third, I would encourage the Oscar race to be a year-round thing rather than a “last few months of the year” thing. Fourth, I would put a cap on the age – I know that sounds awful but at a certain point most Academy members simply stop voting and give their ballots over to younger people — sons, daughters, mistresses, nannies, secretaries.

You can head on over to the Carpetbagger to let him know how you would change things or you can tell us.