The Pop Culture Pundit

Welcome to a special edition of Kate’s Greats highlighting the best, worst, and wildest moments from the 98th Academy Awards ceremony. As always, the Oscars were filled with plenty of things to talk about–so let’s dive in. 

Most Relatable: Amy Madigan’s Best Supporting Actress Speech

Amy Madigan won the award for her role as Aunt Gladys in Weapons, which was awesome for many reasons. First, it’s a big win for the horror genre, which often goes under-recognized at the Oscars. Second, Madigan’s husband, fellow actor Ed Harris, looked so proud upon her name being announced and that’s the kind of Hollywood power couple we all need. But my favorite moment was when Madigan talked about how she was thinking about her speech while shaving her legs in the shower, only to wear pants for the ceremony and not have that matter at all. Honestly, what girl doesn’t relate?

^{Oscars via YouTube}

Best Skits: Conan O’Brien making fun of our viewing habits 

Conan really delivered some of the best Oscar bits in recent memory. First, he joked about the ceremony moving to YouTube in 2029 by having fake YouTube ads cutting him off mid-speech, delivered with comedic precision by Jane Lynch, who was plugging Beam Pro flashlights, and then a lawyer seeking clients for those who wish to be compensated for Beam Pro flashlight injuries (too real, Jane. Too real). 

Then, Conan pointed out how vertical viewing is kinda messing with our perception of cinema in general with a skit that re-formatted classic movies into iPhone ready-content–except it cut out our viewing of iconic moments such as Sally (Meg Ryan) eating a sandwich in When Harry Met Sally and Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) running from the plane in North By Northwest. 

Finally, Conan and Sterling K. Brown re-enacted a scene from Casablanca, updated for second-screen viewers (those who are on another electronic device while watching TV/movies). Of course this means reiterating the plot a million times–which war was World War II? Who’s in a love triangle in the movie?–And being a part of Gen Z, I felt this hard. Thank you, Conan, for continuing to deliver painfully accurate parodies. 

^{ABC via YouTube}

Worst Time to Play Hooky: Sean Penn Winning Best Supporting Actor and Not Showing Up

As Kieran Culkin said while announcing the award for Best Supporting Actor: “Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening–or didn’t want to–so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf.” Penn delivered an eerie performance as Colonel Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, so it makes sense he would be recognized, considering he also won the BAFTA and Actor Awards. But he didn’t show up for those…so I guess he just didn’t want to for this either. Not only were we robbed from another speech of his–this is his third Oscar, a triumphant moment to celebrate!–we also missed out on all four acting winners posing with their trophies. Maybe he’ll at least show up to present next year? 

Best Historic Feat: A Woman Finally Winning Best Cinematography 

It only took the Oscars 98 years, but a woman finally won this trophy. Autumn Durald Arkapaw won for her work on Sinners, and she thanked all the other women in the room in a moving speech. Her interview with the New York Times is similarly great where you can read about her unlikely trajectory to movie-making and how she came to collaborate with Ryan Coogler for Sinners.

Person I Want to Meditate With: Kumail Nanjiani

The way that Kumail Nanjiani so calmly announced a tie in Best Live-Action Short Film is a good lesson in how to handle a situation that could be stressful with grace. He opened the envelope, stated there was a tie (“calm down!” he exclaimed multiple times, maybe for the audience, maybe for himself), and explained the process with ease before having each speaker come up to the podium in a separate, mannered fashion. I would surely be freaking out– “OMG a tie???? What do we do??? THIS HASN’T HAPPENED IN YEARS!!!!” If Nanjiani doesn’t have a partnership with Calm yet, he should surely be their next brand ambassador. 

Grossest Déjà vu: We See Adrien Brody’s Chewed Gum–AGAIN

Never in my life have I thought I would see actor Adrien Brody’s chewing gum two years in a row at an Oscars ceremony. Making fun of when he tossed chewed gum to his girlfriend Georgina Chapman last year, Brody once again took his gum out of his mouth and showed it to the entire world. But this time, he then put it back in his mouth and proceeded to swallow it, which is somehow just as gross!!!! I can’t. 

Best Power Couple of the Night: Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson won three Oscars of the night for One Battle After Another. Maya Rudolph reunited with her Bridesmaids co-stars. A big night for both of them, and I am here for every single second. They’re so cute together! 

Best Original Song Performance: Sinners’ “I Lied to You” 

The Oscars have been really weird with Best Original Song the past couple years. Last year, they didn’t have any of the songs performed, and this year, they only had two of the five nominees. But the performances of “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters and “I Lied to You” from Sinners proved to be two of the night’s highlights. In particular, “I Lied to You” was magnetic from start to finish, with Sinners’ breakout star Miles Caton performing alongside Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and ballet dancer Misty Copeland. Performances like these remind us how transcendent films can be–and what an awe-inspiring experience it is seeing them in a theater, free of distractions, together with a community that feels the same way. 

^{Oscars via YouTube}