Perhaps it was the Vampire Breast Lift, maybe it was the Haze Dual Vaporizer, or maybe the blushworthy adult “accessories”, whatever it was, 2016 has proven to be the year that a longstanding Oscar tradition—the absurdly expensive swag bags handed out to losing Academy Award nominees—seems, officially, to have crossed the line.
In fact shortly after this year’s swag bags were revealed, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sued Distinctive Assets, the marketing firm that has long provided the sassy swag, for trademark infringement.
The lawsuit contended, essentially, that the party favors to end all party favors—and, more specifically, their vampy/vapey/vibey contents, this year said to be worth $232,000 in all—were giving the awards show a bad name…
The Academy spokesperson also said on Wednesday, “Distinctive Assets has been falsely representing that its extravagant ‘gift bags’ [are] redistributed by the Academy, at its direction, or with its endorsement or approval. The Academy has no affiliation with Distinctive Assets. It does not hire Distinctive Assets, consult with it, or help it distribute gift bags. All reports of an ‘official Oscar gift bag,’ or a fight bag distributed at the Oscars containing the products Distinctive Assets promotes, are untrue.”
The Academy is already fighting to maintain its image amid the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
Take note America, Hollywood may be a town of excessive self indulgence, hedonistic womanizing, and good old fashioned debauchery, but it’s an Oscar swag bag that may bring shame to the entertainment industry…
