As much as we love old, venerable institutions and traditions, we've all gotta catch up with the times at some point. And now, it's the Oscars' turn — but the change has been something less than well-received. This year, for the first time ever, members will vote for their picks electronically. The system opened on December 17, and since then, the Academy has received so many complaints that it actually had to issue an apology note.
Apparently, the issue here is members "forgetting or misusing" passwords. While we know plenty of savvy (not to mention stylish) seniors, Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter notes that the median age in the Academy is 62...perhaps a reason for their dislike of such God-forsaken apparitions like websites. That said, we wouldn't be surprised if the e-voting system was on the clunkier, more HTML-based side of the web spectrum — and people of all ages have been known to get crazy when faced with tech issues.
The problem is apparently so grave that one member expressed concern that "confused and frustrated" voters to just give up altogether. Here's to hoping the kindly folks of Hollywood can band together and overcome this issue...and a big high five to the Academy's tech team, who are certainly going through a lot right now. (The Huffington Post)