Seth Rogen's Oscars Hot Take is Kind of Genius

Seth Rogen has carved out a unique niche in Hollywood, known for his distinctive brand of humor and a knack for making seemingly ordinary moments hilariously relatable. He's gotta be one of my favorite filmmakers, mostly because I feel like he makes bold choices and sticks to his guns. Rogen's recent interview with the Los Angeles Times is no exception, offering a peek into his mind with a blend of witty remarks, unexpected movie concepts, and a truly thought-provoking stance on how we recognize cinematic excellence via the Academy Awards. Let's dive in. Seth Rogen's Hot Takes Rogen kicked off the really quick interview by discussing some "fake movies" he'd love to see brought to life. These include a unique apocalypse film where zombies spread a virus through projectile diarrhea, a gritty 1970s New York-style thriller he's dubbed "Alphabet City," and a dark story about a Jonestown-like colony on Mars.These were all topics in The Studio, Rogen's amazing show about Hollywood and how it works. They are also movies I could totally see Hollywood greenlighting in the near future, so watch out. When reflecting on cringeworthy real-life experiences in his work, Rogen admitted that having to deliver the news to people that their movies won't be made is a truly terrible experience. Speaking about his unexpected venture into the gaming world, Rogen considers his involvement in "Call of Duty" a significant career moment. He has a 'skin' you can download and play as him. Its a fun side thing that sort of cements his place in popular culture. But let's get into the real meat of the interview, where Rogen actually has a hot take that I love about fixing the Oscars. How To Fix the Academy Awards Rogen firmly believes there should be a five-year lag between a movie's release and its eligibility for major awards like the Oscars. His reasoning is that this extended period would allow enough time to truly assess if a film stands the test of time and maintains its cultural relevance. He cited Crash winning Best Picture as an example, suggesting that in hindsight, it hasn't aged well and had little lasting cultural impact, while other films from that year might have been more deserving, like Brokeback Mountain.The more I think about this, the more I think it's genius. It allows us to really dig into a movie and not just act on impulses. I also think it dispels a lot of campaigning, where we can actually think about what sticks out in our minds over the years. There's real intention in picking those movies and looking back at what we revisited and how important that stuff is to us. Summing It All Up I actually think Rogen is onto something with the five-year waiting period. It's a fun way to start assessing the actual cultural impact of a movie and how it holds up over time. There's probably no actual way to make that pivot, but it's a really cool idea. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Jun 25, 2025 - 01:55

Seth Rogen's Oscars Hot Take is Kind of Genius

Seth Rogen has carved out a unique niche in Hollywood, known for his distinctive brand of humor and a knack for making seemingly ordinary moments hilariously relatable.

He's gotta be one of my favorite filmmakers, mostly because I feel like he makes bold choices and sticks to his guns.

Rogen's recent interview with the Los Angeles Times is no exception, offering a peek into his mind with a blend of witty remarks, unexpected movie concepts, and a truly thought-provoking stance on how we recognize cinematic excellence via the Academy Awards.

Let's dive in.

Seth Rogen's Hot Takes

Rogen kicked off the really quick interview by discussing some "fake movies" he'd love to see brought to life. These include a unique apocalypse film where zombies spread a virus through projectile diarrhea, a gritty 1970s New York-style thriller he's dubbed "Alphabet City," and a dark story about a Jonestown-like colony on Mars.

These were all topics in The Studio, Rogen's amazing show about Hollywood and how it works.

They are also movies I could totally see Hollywood greenlighting in the near future, so watch out.

When reflecting on cringeworthy real-life experiences in his work, Rogen admitted that having to deliver the news to people that their movies won't be made is a truly terrible experience.

Speaking about his unexpected venture into the gaming world, Rogen considers his involvement in "Call of Duty" a significant career moment.

He has a 'skin' you can download and play as him. Its a fun side thing that sort of cements his place in popular culture.

But let's get into the real meat of the interview, where Rogen actually has a hot take that I love about fixing the Oscars.

How To Fix the Academy Awards

Rogen firmly believes there should be a five-year lag between a movie's release and its eligibility for major awards like the Oscars.

His reasoning is that this extended period would allow enough time to truly assess if a film stands the test of time and maintains its cultural relevance.

He cited Crash winning Best Picture as an example, suggesting that in hindsight, it hasn't aged well and had little lasting cultural impact, while other films from that year might have been more deserving, like Brokeback Mountain.

The more I think about this, the more I think it's genius. It allows us to really dig into a movie and not just act on impulses. I also think it dispels a lot of campaigning, where we can actually think about what sticks out in our minds over the years.

There's real intention in picking those movies and looking back at what we revisited and how important that stuff is to us.

Summing It All Up

I actually think Rogen is onto something with the five-year waiting period. It's a fun way to start assessing the actual cultural impact of a movie and how it holds up over time.

There's probably no actual way to make that pivot, but it's a really cool idea.

What do you think?

Let me know in the comments.