94th Academy Awards Become Meme-Filled Event As 'Will Smith's Slap,' 'Nicole Kidman's Reaction' And Other Oscar Moments Go Viral

By Aidan Walker
23144 views
• Published 2 years ago

Published 2 years ago

Sunday night's 94th Academy Awards ceremony spawned a variety of memes and viral moments, from red-carpet looks to onstage combat.

Kicking off the night, Timothee Chalamet's unconventional choice to go shirtless in a shiny sequined jacket inspired much thirst from online commentators, some of whom speculated that he “rewrote the Oscars dress code.” Like his look from last year's Oscars, it led to certain segments of the internet falling even more deeply in love with the Gen-Z crush and A24 star.


Many Hollywood celebrities also wore blue ribbons to show support for Ukraine as it continues to fight off Russia's invasion.


The most-remarked upon thing at the Oscars, however, was easily the slap heard 'round the world. After Chris Rock made a joke mocking Jada Pinkett Smith’s short hair, which is a result of her alopecia, her husband Will Smith got up and slapped Rock in the face on live television.


Backlash, discussion, mockery and memery about the viral slap dominated social media platforms for hours into today. Celebrity reactions to the slap, captured by cameras in the room, were widely discussed, with the facial expressions made by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Lupita Nyong'o, in particular, receiving a lot of attention.


Nicole Kidman’s expressive face was also widely memed, although her reaction actually occurred earlier in the night despite many saying it was in response to the slap.


Andrew Garfield and Zendaya were caught on their phones following the slap, leading some to speculate that they were either on Twitter or texting Tom Holland.


The Oscars have generated memes and viral moments in the past. From the famous Ellen DeGeneres Oscar Selfie taken in 2014 and the 2016 Oscars So White controversy to the "Best Picture" winner mix-up in 2017, moments from the ceremony have a way of rooting themselves in the public consciousness and dominating social media shortly after. However, viewership of the Oscars has steadily declined over the past few years, so some speculated that moments like the slap were actually staged to generate attention and publicity — although, again, that's all speculation.


The winner of "Best Picture" was Apple's CODA, the first "Best Picture" win for a streaming service, and the winner of the "Best Actor" award was none other than Will Smith, for King Richard. The Academy Awards remain one of the most visible events in a rapidly changing film industry, and a fertile ground for the cultivation and harvesting of memes each year.

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