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Traditionally hostile to any change that doesn't involve the televised humiliation of nominees in technical categories, the Academy predictably is resisting some very important innovations in "giving free shit to absurdly rich people" technology already embraced by lesser awards shows:

Now companies vie for the opportunity to be included in what he calls his "interactive gifting suite," where they have a face-to-face opportunity to press their wares on the rich and famous, in the hope that the celebrity will be seen with their items and set a trend. [...]


Mindful of the risks of losing the public focus on movies, the Oscars have so far been careful to resist adding a "giveaway lounge" to the bonus of the basket at the awards. "That's a rather unusual setup, and that's not the way we do it," said Leslie Unger, spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the awards.

We applaud the Academy for not allowing the undignified spectacle of its proud nominees slowly processing through a room full of swag-whoring publicists pimping their luxury items, pretending to pay attention to the exciting features of the $300 designer jeans they're shoveling into a shopping bag. There's something glamorously Old Hollywood about sending your $600 a week assistant to retrieve the $75,000 swag-bag containing a variety of exotic moisturizing creams you'll eventually make said plebe apply to your shar pei.