Contrary to appearances, John Cena was not actually naked. This clarification comes from the actor’s backstage team following a stunt at this year’s Oscars, the most prestigious awards in the global film industry, which took place on March 10th, 2024. The renowned actor and wrestler appeared on stage to present an award and seemed to be unclothed. The act elicited a variety of responses; while some commended Cena, others criticized him on social media for promoting nudity at a global event.
The stunt, which was intended to pay tribute to one of the most bizarre incidents in Academy Awards history, involved a nod to the 1974 ceremony where a naked man streaked across the stage. This prompted Kimmel to playfully tease the audience with the prospect of witnessing a similar spectacle.
‘Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today?’, Kimmel asked the audience. All the attendees waited with bated breath not knowing what the host was up to. Then suddenly John Cena popped his head from one side of the stage.
Many following the event live at the event and on television thought Kimmel was asking ambiguous question, but his intentions suddenly came to the fore.
‘I changed my mind. I don’t want to do streaker bit.’ Cena said to Kimmel. The two engaged briefly before Cena slowly limped to the center of the stage saying ‘the male body is not a joke’.
The actor’s action received varied responses from in-person and online audiences, with some praising his courage and others denouncing it as a ‘humiliation ritual.’
After the stunt, two things came to light. Unlike the surprise moment of 1974, this year’s ‘nude’ stunt was pre-planned, as confirmed by Cena’s team. Secondly, the purpose of his move was to promote a ‘modesty garment’, which is commonly used in the film industry to cover private parts during scenes requiring actors to appear naked.
Setting aside Cena’s unexpected ‘nude’ moment, here are some of the victors at this year’s Academy Awards:
Best Picture was awarded to Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, and Emma Thomas for Oppenheimer.
Christopher Nolan received the Best Directing award for Oppenheimer.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph was honored with Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers.
Robert Downey Jr. earned Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer.
Cillian Murphy was celebrated as Best Actor for Oppenheimer.
Emma Stone was acclaimed as Best Actress for Poor Things.
The Documentary Feature Film award went to 20 Days in Mariupol, by Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath, and Michelle Mizner.
The Last Repair Shop won the Documentary Short Film category.
The Animated Feature Film prize was given to The Boy And The Heron, by Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki, among others.
