Snubs and Dubs in a Post-Slap Oscars

Every year, actors, filmmakers, critics, and occasional TikTok stars gather together to celebrate the culmination of the year’s best films. The Oscars, an award ceremony held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, was held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. While it may not have had the same flamboyance as the previous year, there were still many funny, awkward, and downright sad moments at this year’s award ceremony. Below are some of the most viral moments at the 95th Oscars.

Vanessa Hudgens Dodges Elvis Presley

Vanessa Hudgens co-hosted with Jimmy Fallon at this year’s Oscars. She interviewed many of the nominees for the most coveted awards, such as “Best Actor,” “Best Actress,” “Best Director,” and more. However, she was nowhere to be seen when Best Oscar nominee, Austin Butler, took the red carpet. Instead, Ashley Graham interviewed him. Considering the extensive history between Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler, this is not much of a surprise.

Austin Butler waves to a dodging Vanessa Hudgens | Source: Entertainment Tonight

The pair were first linked together in 2011 at co-star Ashley Tisdale’s birthday party. Over the course of ten years, they went on numerous dates, including trips to Italy and Coachella and had to pay a $1,000 fine after carving their names into a rock in Sedona. Hudgens even suggested that he audition for the role he is most famous for now, Elvis. In early 2020, the pair called it quits. Considering they had been together for almost ten years and had no engagement, that should have been the first warning sign.

Vanessa was seen avoiding Austin “Elvis” Butler the entire night, swiftly walking past him in one clip, fueling one of the more awkward moments at the Oscars with the internet quick to notice.

Everything Everywhere All At Once Wins Everything

Everything Everywhere All At Once is an A24 independent film released on March 11, 2022. It quickly received praise from viewers and critics alike, commenting on its unique plot and superb acting. It quickly reached the status of one of the greatest films of all time. Before the Oscars, it was already the most-awarded film of all time with 257 wins. It further cemented its title as one of the greatest films of all time after winning seven Oscars.

The first win went to Ke Huy Quan for his performance as Waymond, Alpha Waymond, and more in the heavily praised film. His acting career started when he was very young in Indiana Jones in the Temple of Fire, and this is his first Oscar. He gave an emotional speech, first declaring to his mom that he won an Oscar and then giving an anecdote about his journey to the Oscars: “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” Ke Huy Quan is overcome with emotion as he accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Ke Huy Quan delivering his speech after winning Best Supporting Actor | Source: ABC News

The now-famous duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won both Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars. They first met in college at Emerson University and began their career making music videos before hitting the big screen. Their experience in making music videos was critical to the success of this movie and is also why it also won Best Film Editing. Having to work on a budget for music videos allowed the creation of these two to flourish and resulted in many iconic and beautifully edited scenes.

Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress against tough competition (Stephanie Hsu and Angela Bassett). Having worked in the industry for four decades, this award is the culmination of all her hard work.

And, finally, the star of the movie, Michelle Yeoh, won Best Actress for her excellent performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. This award was really a battle between Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh, with the award being anyone’s game. She originally studied to be a ballet dancer but then transitioned to film and acted in many martial arts films. Despite her illustrious career, this is her first Oscar, and this movie really put her into the spotlight. She cites in her speech, “This is proof to dream big, and that dreams do come true,” adding, “Ladies don’t let anyone tell you that you are past your prime.”

Angela Bassett’s “Poor Sportsmanship”

Oscars photo cam after Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Source: ABC News

This year, the competition for the Oscars was especially tough. One of the more competitive fields, the award for best supporting actress, was viewed by viewers as a clash between Angela Bassett for her portrayal of Queen of Wakanda, Ramonda, and Stephanie Hsu for her portrayal of Jobu Tupaki and Joy. However, the award did not go to either of these people. It instead went to seasoned veteran Jamie Lee Curtis for her portrayal of a tax lady in Everything Everywhere All At Once. The internet was in a frenzy after the Oscars, but what was even more surprising was Angela Bassett’s reaction to hearing who won. She looked incredibly disappointed and didn’t cheer for Jamie Lee Curtis.

While some say that this was bad sportsmanship, others are defending her for her very human reaction. There is a culture that says you need to show excitement for winning, having to applaud and show a smile on your face as the role you worked so hard for was not credited. Angela Bassett’s very human response shows the inhumane standard actors are held to for award ceremonies, being ridiculed and critiqued for showing a hint of disappointment in their loss.

Andrew Garfield cringes after Jimmy Kimmel’s joke | Source: ABC News

Not-My-Spiderman

One of the more funny moments was when Jimmy Fallon said Spider-Man was in the house, and everyone was expecting to see Tom Holland, but instead, the camera turned to Andrew Garfield. When the camera turned to Andrew Garfield he cringed in reponse, displaying the knowledge that he is not this generation’s Spider-Man. Where was Tom Holland you may ask? He was in Paris enjoying time with his famous partner, Zendaya.

Conclusion

After the famous slap, everyone had their eyes on this year’s Oscars. In fact, viewership increased by 18%. This year’s Oscars definitely lived up to the hype with many funny moments and many moments that are a reflection of the current state of pop culture. For now, it is time to wait for what future films are nominated for an Oscar and what events will happen next year.