Alone Yet Not Alone Disqualified from Best Original Song

For those of you who haven't followed the drama, there were two contentious points to this obscure nomination. First, and apparently, not the big problem, were questions of the films qualifications for Oscar consideration at all. Apparently it had only played in one theater in Reno, NV, and some questioned whether it had enough screenings in the first place. But that was not what ended up screwing the song out of an Oscar nomination. When it was discovered that one of the nominees was none other than Bruce Boughton, a former Academy governor and head of the music branch, there were some in the press, and apparently rightfully so, who questioned this nomination. After an extensive investigation by the Academy, it is reported that Boughton violated campaign rules, by directly emailing members of the branch to promote the film (a no-no as you all remember from The Hurt Locker situation a few years ago), and because of this they have rescinded the nomination, and do not plan on replacing it. Some will complain that that is unfair to that sixth place song, but at this point, it is just too much of an ordeal to add another song this late in the game when phase two campaigning has kicked into high gear (I know Oscar ballots are not out, but that is really a technicality). So we are left with a four-person Oscar race, that really feels like it could go three ways. In a statement, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs stated, "No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one’s own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage.” Unlike before where the producer's credit for The Hurt Locker stood, and he won an Oscar, I think the Academy did the right thing, and sent the right message by rescinding the nomination, basically saying: we will not tolerate this type of unfair campaigning, and if you ignore it, we will not just slap you on the wrist, but we will make sure that you don't do it again.