There were a lot of changes at the 2021 Oscars. Some of them good, some of them bad, some of them very blurry. Seriously, what was up with the blurry camera? My home videos from the '90s looked better than that. Ceremony director Steven Soderbergh has a lot of explaining to do.

(Steven, if you're reading this, lemme know in the comments what you have to say about the video quality. And yes, you have to subscribe to comment. We appreciate your support of the liberal arts!)

Blurriness aside, when it comes to the changes to the ceremony, here's what we think should stay in the future, and what should be ditched before the 2022 Oscars.

Keep

• The awards were handed out "out of order." Typically, the "big ones," like Best Director, are handed out at the end, but in 2021, they spiced things up and switched it up. Let's keep this change. I'm sure they can find creative ways to keep us incentivized to watch until the end!
• Questlove as musical director. The man played Dolly Parton and Guns N Roses as we were ushered to commercial breaks. Solid.
• The banquet dinner. The Globes makes it look so fun, and the more lit the guests get, the more unpredictable (read: fun) things get for us at home.
• The inclusivity. The Oscars were the most diverse its ever been.
• The attempts. It's the 93rd version of the show and change is overdue. Not every change will be a home run, but keep the attempts coming.

Ditch

• The train station. Listen, I don't think anyone wanted to film here, so it's not like this is an issue. The poor lighting, the poor sound, and the Oscar gowns in a train station bathroom ... pass.
• The long speeches. The 2021 ceremony didn't have any "play off" music and while that's niiiiiiice in theeeeory, it made the speeches drag on. A little musical reminder to wrap it up is zeitgeist at this point. Bring it back!
• The lack of clips. This year, we didn't get the clips of the nominated artists' work! How am I to judge Best Cinematography without a ten second clip?? We got clips for some categories, but not all. Bring back the clips!
• The lack of host. Lots of award shows have been going hostless, but let's meet somewhere in the middle. Regina King (that dress) did a great job being the non-host host of the opening of the ceremony, but we missed the jokes.
• The COVID segment. Again, this really should not be an issue going forward, and if it is, we've got bigger problems.
• The daylight. It turns what should be one of the most glamorous nights in Hollywood into a discount matinee in Ohio.
• The 2021 ending. Wrapping up the show with an individual award, instead of the collective Best Picture, was awkward and un-celebratory, especially since Best Actor winner Anthony Hopkins didn't even show up. Ditch that move.

What do you all think?

Image: Oscars.com