Everything Is Wrong With This Year’s Oscars Animation Category

Summary:

• Animation category was snubbed at this year's Oscars, with Jimmy Kimmel making an unfunny joke that fed into the stereotype that animation is for children.
• The Boy and the Heron, an autobiographical film by Hayao Miyazaki that explores grief, trauma and responsibility, won the Best Animated Feature category.
• The timing was off, as past Oscar winners were discussing the nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category, while the Best Animated Feature category quickly passed.

It all started with yet another terribly unfunny joke by Jimmy Kimmel. It seems like making fun of Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t enough for him.

"Next is the Animated Feature categories, please raise your hand if you let your kid fill out this part of the ballot," said the comedian.

The audience was disappointed in this statement, to say the least. There is a stereotype that animated films are for children, even though this has been proven wrong so many times. Especially with the winner of this year, The Boy and The Heron.

The movie tells the story of Mahito, a boy who moves to the countryside after his mother dies during the Pacific War. He enters a fantastical world with a talking heron when he discovers an abandoned tower near his new home.

The complexity of this film is hard to uncover. It's a very personal study of grief, trauma and responsibility, both collective and personal.

The Boy and The Heron is an autobiographical reflection by Hayao Miyazaki, whose childhood was spent surrounded by bombed-out cities and loss. There were rumors that this film was going to be the last work of the 83-year-old animator.

Jimmy Kimmel’s comment was also made right before War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko won an award for Best Animated Short Film. This film’s message is that there are no winners in the war.

Another outrageous fact is that in the previous category, which was The Best Supporting Actress, we had the past Oscar winners on stage elaborating on the nominations. And when the time comes for The Best Animated Film, they just speed through nominations in literally five seconds and move on.

Because who cares about kids' stuff, right?