The 2024 Oscars are becoming increasingly wild with each passing moment. Following Jimmy Kimmel’s uncomfortable jokes in his opening monologue, John Cena pulled off another antic. The Barbie actor appeared fully nude on the Oscars stage to present the Best Costume Design award, at the behest of Jimmy Kimmel. This act served as a nod to one of the most bizarre moments in Academy Awards history- the infamous incident at the 46th Oscars in 1974, when a naked man interrupted David Niven’s introduction of Elizabeth Taylor.

As the nominees appeared on screen, Cena made a quick change into a peachy toga-inspired outfit off-camera and clutched a large envelope with this year’s winner. “Costumes… they are so important. Maybe the most important thing there is,” said the wrestler with a straight face. The awards announcement, however, came as a bigger surprise to many than Cena walking 99% naked on the stage.

Both Poor Things and Barbie looked at the same story but with different lenses. Their main characters went on adventures of self-discovery in new worlds. Bella Baxter and Barbie tiptoed through spaces that were as detailed as a fine piece of art. Between Greta Gerwig’s bright pink color palette and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Victorian vibe, turned out, it was Poor Things that took home the award. This left Barbie with only one win for Best Original Song, which went to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, out of the eight nominations. 

Despite Barbie reigning as the year’s blockbuster, it missed out on the one award fans were convinced it would get, all because of one key factor.

How did Barbie end up losing to Poor Things in the costume design category?

It was quite the feat for Jacqueline Durran to portray the clash of cultures as Barbie and Ken wheeled into the chaos of Venice Beach after leaving their peaceful pink Dream House town. While the competition in costume and production design was fierce, Poor Things may have had the upper hand in terms of ambition and originality when compared to Barbie. 

They crafted a retro-futuristic Victorian setting from scratch. Costume designer Holly Waddington began with the traditional silhouette, but then veered towards a more simplistic look, featuring unconventional elements like bold puffy shoulders. The highlight, however, was the use of latex and plastic, which added a modern touch to the fabric choices, giving Poor Things an edge over Barbie.

What do you think about John Cena’s hilarious presentation of the Best Costume Design Award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!