Kirstie Alley Criticizes Academy's New Inclusion Rules For Best Picture Eligibility

Kirstie Alley slammed the Academy's new representation and inclusion standards for Best Picture eligibility and even called it a "disgrace to artists everywhere."

The "Look Who's Talking" star took to Twitter to express her dismay regarding the changes that the Academy made for the Best Picture category that orders the filmmakers and producers to meet certain inclusion thresholds to qualify. The new rules requires that 30% of the secondary or minor roles should be women from racial or ethnic groups and have at least one of the lead actors from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. While the new qualifications aim to diversify, Alley felt that it was too much.

"This is a disgrace to artists everywhere...can you imagine telling Picasso what had to be in his [explicit] paintings," she wrote on Twitter.

"You people have lost your minds. Control artists, control individual thought .. OSCAR ORWELL."

The "Drop Dead Gorgeous" star has since deleted the tweet but made another post to clear her stand on the issue.

"I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of UNBRIDLED artistry expressed through movies. The new RULES to qualify for 'best picture' are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own a--," she wote.

She also clarified why she deleted her first post and explained that it was a poor analogy and didn't reflect her viewpoint.

"I deleted my first tweet about the new rules for best movie OSCARS because I feel it was a poor analogy & misrepresented my viewpoint. I am 100% behind diversity inclusion & tolerance. I’m opposed to MANDATED ARBITRARY percentages relating to hiring human beings in any business," Alley explained.

Director Ava Duvernay responded to Alley's post with a GIF of a Black man slamming the door in a white man's face, and it didn't escape Alley's attention. The "Cheers" star urged the director to examine and explore her track record.

Alley stressed that she fought for human and civil rights for 50 years and made it clear that she has no issues with diversity. What she does not agree with are the "mandated, impossible to 'police' qoutas as a prerequisite 4 a 'best' picture.”

Alley’s stand received mixed reactions from the Twitter users. While many disagreed with her, several also got her point and supported her call.

“... I wouldn’t want to be put in a movie just because I was black... I would want to be put in because I was best for the role... Don’t people see the issue with that?” one wrote.