James Cromwell Sounds Off on the OSCARS and Offers a Solution to the Voting Process - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 02-29-2012, 12:56 AM

The Artist's James Cromwell Slams Academy Awards, Proposes Solution for Flawed Voting Process (Video)
2/28/2012
by Sophie A. Schillaci

James Cromwell may have been all smiles while accepting the honor of Best Picture at Sunday’s Academy Awards, but at The Hollywood Reporter’s Nominees' Night celebration just days earlier, the actor was eager for awards season to be over.

"My favorite part of award season is when it's over. It's just a lot of hoopla and I don't think it's what we're set out to do as actors and as artists. I like to do the work and the work stands out there as itself, and then the industry takes over.

The Academy Awards were basically created by the industry to promote pictures. They were never really meant to acknowledge the performances and they were acknowledged because the contract went up. They all created this great popularity contest and now it's an incredible show and it's seen all over the world.

The strain on us to put ourselves up against other people, to think that it's some sort of popularity contest, this is not a contest and we're all in on this together. We all do the best work possible to be chosen as one of the five.

I was told back when I was first nominated by an industry executive that The Academy is a crap-shoot. The 'real Academy Award' is simply being chosen as one of the five to be nominated."

When asked if he thinks The Academy Award still holds some value:

"Well it holds a monetary value, I mean millions of dollars for the producers. In the case for individual awards it means many many more millions of dollars in your next contract.

It's interesting that someone pointed out the other day that 85% of the people voting on the awards are all 'old white men', so I don't think that it's incredibly democratic.

I have a solution for this, have the five nominees vote among themselves on what they think is the best. They cannot vote for themselves however. Then at the awards ceremony all five of them stand up on the stage and say 'We the nominees think that this should be the best winner'.

This way nobody wins and nobody loses and Americans can learn that it's all not about winning and losing, this is about full self-expression and what it means to be an artist."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rac...-oscars-295768

02-29-2012, 12:56 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,153	James Cromwell Sounds Off on the OSCARS and Offers a Solution to the Voting Process The Artist's James Cromwell Slams Academy Awards, Proposes Solution for Flawed Voting Process (Video) 2/28/2012 by Sophie A. Schillaci James Cromwell may have been all smiles while accepting the honor of Best Picture at Sunday’s Academy Awards, but at The Hollywood Reporter’s Nominees' Night celebration just days earlier, the actor was eager for awards season to be over. "My favorite part of award season is when it's over. It's just a lot of hoopla and I don't think it's what we're set out to do as actors and as artists. I like to do the work and the work stands out there as itself, and then the industry takes over. The Academy Awards were basically created by the industry to promote pictures. They were never really meant to acknowledge the performances and they were acknowledged because the contract went up. They all created this great popularity contest and now it's an incredible show and it's seen all over the world. The strain on us to put ourselves up against other people, to think that it's some sort of popularity contest, this is not a contest and we're all in on this together. We all do the best work possible to be chosen as one of the five. I was told back when I was first nominated by an industry executive that The Academy is a crap-shoot. The 'real Academy Award' is simply being chosen as one of the five to be nominated." When asked if he thinks The Academy Award still holds some value: "Well it holds a monetary value, I mean millions of dollars for the producers. In the case for individual awards it means many many more millions of dollars in your next contract. It's interesting that someone pointed out the other day that 85% of the people voting on the awards are all 'old white men', so I don't think that it's incredibly democratic. I have a solution for this, have the five nominees vote among themselves on what they think is the best. They cannot vote for themselves however. Then at the awards ceremony all five of them stand up on the stage and say 'We the nominees think that this should be the best winner'. This way nobody wins and nobody loses and Americans can learn that it's all not about winning and losing, this is about full self-expression and what it means to be an artist." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rac...-oscars-295768 Attached Images