Oscars Outrage: Academy Snubs Uggie the Dog

The entertainment world has been abuzz since yesterday’s announcement of the nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards. Movie buffs around the Web have been raving about the talented nominees or chastising the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ outlandish Oscar snubs for actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling and Tilda Swinton. Yet, could the biggest Oscars snub actually be for a dog?

Audiences everywhere have fallen in love with Uggie the dog, the 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier who steals the show in the critically acclaimed silent film “The Artist,” which itself is nominated for 10 Academy Awards. Even those who did not get a chance to see the film have probably been swept up in the media whirlwind surrounding the precious pup, who caught the eyes of entertainment reporters on the red carpet—wearing a bow tie and all—at the Golden Globe awards earlier this month.

The talented canine has garnered much support across the Internet, especially on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Over 9,000 people have liked the Movieline sponsored Facebook page, “Consider Uggie,” which promotes an unofficial awards campaign for Uggie the dog. Fans can also follow Uggie on Twitter (@Uggie_TheArtist) look for the hash tag ConsiderUggie (#ConsiderUggie) to voice their outrage over the lack of a nomination.

Unfortunately for fans, however, their voices will most likely be ignored.

According to Reuters, the Academy has had strict rules for more than 80 years excluding animals from Oscar consideration because of the success of a similar canine fan favorite, Rin Tin Tin, who almost won an Oscar for Best Actor in 1929.

So why the animal prejudice on behalf of the Academy?

Susan Orlean, author of “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and Legend,” tells Reuters that in 1929 the Academy was still trying to establish itself as a serious awards program and the idea of giving awards to animals, despite the public’s deep admiration for the animal actors, would decrease the award’s prestige.  

Right now, the future remains uncertain for Uggie the dog and his furry friends on the Oscar front, but Uggie does have a major award show coming up—Dog News Daily’s first ever Golden Collar awards—where he received nominations for “Best Dog in a Theatrical film” for his work in both “The Artist” and “Water for Elephants.” Uggie and his multitude of fans will find out if the dog wins gold when the winners are announced on February 13.

Still, with the recent buzz regarding Uggie, many have been asking whether the Academy should revise its rules after 80 years, but that would mean digging up an answer to the question: can animals act?

Should a “Best Animal” category be added to the awards list in the future? Share your thoughts on Uggie the dog and the campaign for animals to be included in the Academy Awards consideration in a comment below.