The claws come out: Visual effects artists aren't laughing at the Oscars' 'CATS' gag

Universal Pictures(LOS ANGELES) -- One of the biggest laughs of Sunday night's Oscars telecast was when Rebel Wilson and her CATS co-star, James Corden, came out in furry feline outfits to present the nominees for Outstanding Visual Effects.

"As cast members of the motion picture CATS, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects," the pair said on the Oscars stage, to laughs.  The bit was the actors' obvious swipe at their own movie, the visual effects for which were flamed online even before CATS' inglorious debut.

However, visual effects artists on that film and others aren't laughing.

In response to Corden and Wilson's catty comments, the Visual Effects Society released a statement to industry trades, including Variety, saying, "...the producers chose to make visual effects the punchline, and suggested that bad VFX were to blame for the poor performance of the movie CATS. The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly."

The statement continued, "On a night that is all about honoring the work of talented artists, it is immensely disappointing that The Academy made visual effects the butt of a joke. It demeaned the global community of expert VFX practitioners doing outstanding, challenging and visually stunning work to achieve the filmmakers' vision."

The statement added, "Our artists, technicians and innovators deserve respect for their remarkable contributions to filmed entertainment, and should not be presented as the all-too-convenient scapegoat in service for a laugh."