'Avatar' director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau dip their hands in wet cement for Hollywood ceremony
'Avatar' director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau dip their hands in wet cement as they immortalize their hand and footprints in front of the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
A 12-year-old girl being nominated for a "worst actress" award sparked intense backlash from critics leading to the awards show introducing age limits.
The Golden Raspberry Awards, more popularly known as "The Razzies," holds an annual parody awards ceremony highlighting the worst of Hollywood on the eve of the Academy Awards. This year, 12-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who starred in the Stephen King-adapted remake "Firestarter," joined veteran actresses Bryce Dallas Howard and Diane Keaton in nominations for the "worst actress" category.
But some critics thought the move was inappropriate, with one even comparing the organizers to a school bully.
"With this thoughtless nomination, how are the Razzies different to a playground bully picking on someone smaller than they are?" Jacob Stolworthy, culture reporter at The Independent asked.
"Firestarter" actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong was nominated for a Razzie award (FireStarter trailer on YouTube/Screenshot)
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While nominating established actors like Tom Hanks was "fair game," he argued it was unfair to nominate a child for the award.
"To nominate an Oscar winner, or someone with proven bankable success to their name, is acceptable; to highlight the performance of someone as young as 12 is not just tacky – it’s fairly reprehensible," he blasted.
The nomination was also heavily criticized on Twitter.
Former child actor Julian Hilliard slammed the "repulsive" move. "The Razzies are already mean-spirited & classless, but to nominate a kid is just repulsive & wrong. Why put a kid at risk of increased bullying or worse? Be better," he urged.
Actor Macaulay Culkin was also nominated for a Razzie in 1994. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
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Marvel director Joe Russo called the move a "new low" and said kids should be off limits from this kind of attention.
Film critic Matthew Buck also defended the actress against the "public shaming."
"The Razzies can absolutely piss right off when nominate a literal *child* for a Worst Actress category. They don't deserve that kind of public shaming, kids do as they're directed. Also, I'm literally finishing a review of another film they're in, and they're really good in it," he tweeted.
Screenwriter Kimberly Elizabeth suggested other ways the awards show could have fun without involving children. "The Razzies could be fun if they did things like ‘Biggest Oscar Bait’ and ‘Most Egregious Use of Lens Flair’ and not did things like nominating a CHILD," she tweeted.
Social media users also worried that the young actress's career would be ruined by the nomination, with some noting the notoriety past nominees like Jake Lloyd, who starred in the "Star Wars" prequels, faced.
Brooke Shields was nominated for a Razzie in 1981 as a teenager. (Photo by Sonia Moskowitz/IMAGES/Getty Images)
Armstrong wasn't the first child actor to receive the dishonorable recognition. Macaulay Culkin was nominated three times in 1994 at 14 years old for his role in three films. Brooke Shields was nominated at 16-years-old in 1981 for "Endless Love."
The show's co-founder John Wilson initially said the reaction was "overblown" but admitted the organizers may have made a mistake, to Buzzfeed News.
"The intent was to be funny. In this particular instance, we seem to have misstepped very badly. I would admit that," he told Buzzfeed.
"I can see how it could be taken that way [as mean]. I don't think that was how it was meant," Wilson said as well. "I think people who get upset about it — I don't even know how to say this. The rage is interesting — perhaps somewhat justified, but I think overblown."
However Wilson later acknowledged the "valid" criticism the Razzies received and offered a public apology to Armstrong. He also announced minors would now be excluded from nominations.
"[W]e regret any hurt she experienced as a result of our choices," he said in a statement published by Variety on Wednesday.
"Having learned from this lesson, we would also like to announce that, from this point forward, we are adopting a Voting Guideline precluding any performer or filmmaker under 18 years of age from being considered for our awards. We have never intended to bury anyone’s career. It is why our Redeemer Award was created. We all make mistakes, very much us included," the statement read in part.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the representatives for Armstrong but did not receive a response.
Demi Moore, Bruce Willis holiday family photo (Demi Moore Instagram)
In 2021 the awards show rescinded actor Bruce Willis's worst actor award after the actor's family revealed he was suffering from aphasia, a disorder which affects cognition and commonly occurs after a person suffers a stroke.
"We have made the decision to rescind the Razzie Award given to Bruce Willis, due to his recently disclosed diagnosis. If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision-making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie," the organizers said.
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