Hollywood, CA — A move that could have sparked outrage across the film industry instead went completely unnoticed last month at the Academy Awards. The iconic Oscar statuettes were quietly replaced with small gold figurines of C-3PO.
The change, for the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, was reportedly made to better align the ceremony with corporate sponsorship opportunities.
“To be clear, they’re figurines, not toys,” said an Academy spokesperson, holding up one of the new awards, which appeared to be a fourteen-inch protocol droid mounted on a plastic base. “The Academy remains committed to honoring the highest achievements in cinema. We’ve simply modernized the award to better reflect today’s entertainment landscape.”
Sources inside the ceremony confirmed that attendees either did not notice the change or are “weak-minded fools” easily affected by Jedi mind tricks.
Sponsors are reportedly lining up for next year’s ceremony, notably Jar Jar Binks is in consideration for the Lifetime Achievement Award.