The 2017 Oscars will forever live in infamy after a mix-up led presenters to call out the wrong winner for Best Picture — a mistake which wasn’t corrected until the cast had already taken the stage.
The mix-up started when someone backstage handed the wrong envelope to Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. That envelope was supposed to contain the winner of the Best Picture award (Moonlight), but instead had the card for Best Actress inside (Emma Stone) — so when Warren and Faye presented Best Picture, they read “Emma Stone: La La Land” instead, and thought the award was going to La La Land.
The mix-up was eventually corrected, but not until the cast and producers of La La Land had already started their acceptance speech. The whole thing was embarrassing for everyone involved — and The Academy is determined for it to never happen again.
So how will The Academy prevent another disaster at this year’s Oscars? They have an intense plan, according to The Washington Post.
Before the show even begins, the “balloting partners,” or the people who hand over the envelopes, will have to go to Oscars rehearsal. There, they will be trained on what to do if something does go wrong.
In addition, the two balloting partners who handed off the wrong envelope last year won’t be back for more, according to The Washington Post. Although they both still work at PwC, the firm that staffs the Oscars, they’ll be replaced at the Oscars by Rick Rosas and Kimberly Bourdon. Rick was the balloting partner for 14 years preceding 2017.
There will also be a third balloting partner this year, when there are normally two. This person will sit in the control room with all of the winners already committed to memory — that way he can intervene right away if something goes wrong.
Before they step on stage, the presenter and the stage manager will also have to formally confirm that they have the right envelope.
And finally — no phones or social media will be allowed backstage at the Oscars. Last year, the partner who handed off the wrong envelope had taken and posted a backstage picture just minutes before, according to Vanity Fair.
What do you think about these new rules? They seem pretty intense to me — although it’s kind of hard to believe some of them weren’t already in place.
Check out the video below to learn more, and please SHARE these new rules on Facebook.
Photos: ABC News
