The 2022 Oscars are less than two weeks, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC are getting creative in their attempts to boost ratings after years prior. The award show will finally have hosts again, with Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes set to be recurring on stage, there will be a Fan Favorite Oscar voted by the internet, and as a recent commercial has revealed, the first live performance of Encanto’s hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” will be part of the telecast. Many young fans will be happy about this, but the internet is not to pleased, per many first reactions.
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has become a cultural moment in the world of movies, skyrocketing over other songs on the Billboard charts early this year and becoming the most successful Disney song of all time. It makes sense then that the Oscars would want to highlight the song during the show to celebrate and reel in the many Encanto fans. But, here’s the general reaction online summed up in a single Tweet:
We Don’t Talk About Bruno isn’t even the nominated song from Encanto at this years Oscar’s…You’re not showing all the categories live for that?March 16, 2022
Encanto does have an Oscars presence this year in three categories: Best Animated Film, Best Score and even Best Original Song –but for “Dos Oruguitas” rather than “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” The movie’s songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda has shared that the more popular Encanto song was not submitted for the Oscars (prior to it going viral) because he felt like “Dos Oruguitas” best exemplifies “the spirit of the movie.” And yet, the Oscars are deciding to spend time on showcasing a performance for this particular song.
Some fans feel like it’s an unneeded element to the show after the Academy made some notable cuts to this year’s Oscars telecast on ABC:
There’s time for useless stuff like that but not to honor the artists live? #PresentAll23 pic.twitter.com/WANHY4UZ5iMarch 16, 2022
One major change the Academy decided to make for this year’s telecast is to not give time to eight categories from the main show, including Best Animated Short Film, Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Film Editing, Best Live Action Short Film, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design and Sound. The nominees in those categories will not be seen accepting their awards during the main telecast, bringing attention away from some important jobs within the medium.
The Academy finds itself trying to appeal to a larger audience and it certainly doesn’t help that many of the 2022 Best Picture nominees are films that, with the exception of Dune, weren’t widely released or particularly successful at the box office. Big movie fans who support all categories being presented at the award show are unhappy Encanto’s hit song is giving the microphone instead of the eight categories being left out:
They can fit a whole extra, non-nominated performance but not all 23 categories…? #PresentAll23 https://t.co/1I9VXVr98TMarch 16, 2022
By the looks of it, the Oscars won’t be able to please everyone as it seeks to please the masses, as the moves are causing controversy among the cinephile fanbase and the Hollywood community.
The Oscars will air on ABC on Sunday, March 27 and you can check out Encanto with a Disney+ subscription now.