MAGA is grousing about the film they believe was the biggest snub of the 97th Academy Awards season: Reagan.
According to the New York Post, the biopic about former Republican President Ronald Reagan starring Dennis Quaid in the leading role was disqualified from being considered for a Best Picture Oscar after failing to meet judges' DEI standards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences implemented its Representation & Inclusion Standards (RAISE) for Oscars eligibility in the Best Picture category last year.
It dictates that 30% of actors from a general ensemble cast must be from at least two underrepresented groups, including women, racial or ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, or people with cognitive or physical disabilities.
Reagan screenwriter Howard A. Klausner told Fox News:
"I think the situation speaks for itself. There’s not really anger and indignation among those of us who made this film, we didn’t seriously expect to be nominated for anything by Hollywood in this cultural climate— it’s just sadness, really."
He argued:
“By these new rules, many previous winners would never have been recognized."
MAGA blamed DEI for leaving Reagan out of the Oscar race.
Ed Feulner, a former domestic policy adviser under Reagan, suggested in a Washington Times op-ed that former Best Picture winners The Godfather, Amadeus, Annie Hall, and Rocky would have been disqualified for not conforming to inclusion and representation standards today.
The Post's article claimed that Reagan deserved to be included in the Best Picture nominee list based on the audience rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, it's worth noting that movie critics widely panned the 2024 film. Many gave Reagan an 18% based on 64 reviews on the site.
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast described the biopic as "a preachy, plodding, graceless groaner," while Variety's Owen Gleiberman placed it at #3 on the "Top Worst Movies of 2024" list, writing, "It’s like watching an infomercial for an aw-shucks cult leader."
RAISE standards only apply to films being considered for Best Picture, not for the other categories, meaning that Quaid could have been nominated for Best Actor, and there could have been a shot at a Best Costume win. However, Reagan was completely left out of the race.
Even menswear expert Derek Guy observed how the costuming for Reagan went unchecked during production, and he highlighted inaccuracies.
@dieworkwear
The underdog independent film Anora swept the Oscars, including a Best Picture win, which many surprised moviegoers appreciated and thought was far more deserving than the mediocrity that was Reagan.
Right-wingers groaning about DEI (a coded racist term used to undermine qualified candidates) behind RAISE is in line with their support of Republican President Donald Trump's crackdown on gutting anti-discriminatory policies.
Conservatives have been called out for their hypocrisy in arguing that diverse candidates in various positions are somehow unqualified, despite Trump's hiring of department heads who lack, or have very minimal, relevant experience.
@Pontifex/X
