For the most part, I feel like this Eric Felten op-ed (in a new weekly Wall Street Journal arts column called “De Gustibus”) has its heart in the right place. But in chastising the Academy for all but doing away with the Best Original Song category with a recent rule change, he takes some rather cheap shots at the group for awarding, in fact, some of the most worthy movie tunes of the alst few years.
Forgive me but I happen to think Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” to be, however on the nose, powerful additions to their respective films, and the Academy uncharacteriztically brave for singling them out.
That having been said, it is true that members of the Academy rarely seem to recognize song work that stands the test of time.