Oscars nix award baskets

Posted Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 4:14 PM Central

by John Couture

Even though celebrity rags devoted pages and pages to their contents, The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has decreed that the lavish gift baskets bestowed on winners and presenters will not be a part of this year's show.

The decision is based on the IRS' decision to send tax forms to anyone who receives the Oscar basket which typically contains over $100,000 worth of merchandise.

Twice nominated actor Edward Norton agreed with the decision.

"A lot of us have talked to the Academy Awards producers about this and I think they're actually going to scuttle the gift baskets and that kind of stuff. I mean the gift baskets, worth amounts of money that a low income family could live on for a year."