The Oscars in 2025 were a spectacle, though not exactly in the way you might expect. With the political climate still fresh in the air after years of divisive rhetoric, it seemed like the Academy had learned from the past and decided to keep it low-key this year. Gone were the outbursts, replaced by a more cautious and, frankly, quite dull evening. A source, who was present at the ceremony, shared with me that presenters and nominees were given strict instructions to keep political opinions at bay and avoid controversy—unless, of course, they popped an Ozempic gummy. Yet, this restraint might have led to one of the least memorable Oscars we’ve seen in a while. Unexpected Winners and Odd Thank Yous One surprising highlight of the night was Anora, which took home five major awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. The film, centered around a young Brooklyn call girl falling for a Russian oligarch’s son, was both provocative and emotional. Director Sean Baker’s acceptance speech included a touching tribute to the sex worker community, thanking them for sharing their stories and life experiences with him. His sincere words of gratitude might have raised some eyebrows, but he definitely kept the evening interesting with that heartfelt moment. A Forgotten Star In a rather cold move, the Oscars producers seemingly ignored the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, who tragically passed away just days before the ceremony. The former Gossip Girl actress, only 39 years old, was notably left out of the In Memoriam segment, which didn’t go unnoticed by viewers. In a cruel twist, they also neglected to acknowledge her former co-star, Blake Lively, who many felt had been equally forgotten in this moment. Political Moments That Missed the Mark The night wasn’t entirely free of political moments, though. Actress Daryl Hannah, while presenting the Best Editing award, quietly whispered “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine). While this moment was subtle, you could almost feel the tension backstage as crew members braced for potential backlash. It wasn’t the most tactful political statement, but it was certainly the most audibly political moment of the night. The Most Loved Moment of the Night If there was one moment that truly warmed everyone’s heart, it was the tribute to the Los Angeles firefighters who had bravely fought the Palisades and Eaton fires. The crowd’s raucous applause was certainly deserved, but it did spark a bit of a side-eye moment—why not offer them some water or, perhaps, an actual mayor to acknowledge their bravery properly? The Wardrobe Malfunction That Never Came During the presentation of the Best Documentary Short award, I was on the edge of my seat, half-expecting some sort of wardrobe malfunction from Molly O’Brien, who won for The Only Girl in the Orchestra. Alas, no such drama unfolded, but I did wonder if someone at the Academy could have given her some double-sided tape to avoid any potential mishaps. Musical Mishaps and Awkward Performances The night’s musical performances certainly left much to be desired. From Doja Cat’s painful rendition of Diamonds Are Forever to the awkwardness of Camille’s overly indulgent performance, things went downhill quickly. However, nothing quite topped Raye’s disastrous take on Adele’s Skyfall, where she was dressed as an Amy Winehouse impersonator, but with none of the talent to back it up. Conan’s Struggling Opening Number Speaking of comedy, host Conan O’Brien didn’t exactly kick off the night with a bang. His opening number quickly became forgettable and, honestly, downright uncomfortable. But things really took a bizarre turn when he made a creepy reference to Demi Moore’s movie The Substance, pulling off a gory stunt that felt out of place and distasteful. The whole thing seemed like an awkward homage to Billy Crystal’s parody of The English Patient, but it didn’t land anywhere near as well. Gum Tossing, Facial Hair, and Awkward Moments There were some truly cringe-worthy moments as well, starting with Adrien Brody’s bizarre behavior when accepting his Best Actor award. He literally stopped halfway to the stage to toss his chewing gum into his partner’s hands, turning the entire moment into something oddly unsavory. Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus, bless her heart, sported a look that reminded many of her father Billy Ray, especially with her lack of eyebrows. A Speech That Went On Too Long Perhaps one of the most aggravating moments came when Camille, winner of Best Song for Emilia Perez, began her speech with a painfully embarrassing display that caused even her collaborator to escape the stage in embarrassment. This moment was so grating that some viewers were calling for a new Oscars rule: anyone who delivers the worst speech of the night should forfeit their Oscar, passing it to the next highest vote-getter. It might just save us from future cringe-fests. Best ‘Rested’ Award Goes to Mick Jagger On a lighter note, Mick Jagger’s appearance definitely sparked some admiration. At 81, the Rolling Stones frontman looked remarkably “rested” and fabulous. If only someone could give him the business card of whoever is performing his cosmetic surgery—he may be onto something with that youthful glow. As the Oscars closed, it was clear the night had been filled with moments both memorable and utterly forgettable. While some winners and speeches were worthy of applause, the overall tone of the night felt less about celebrating film and more about avoiding controversy. Still, that doesn’t mean the entire evening was without its highlights—or its fair share of laughs.
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The Oscars in 2025 were a spectacle, though not exactly in the way you might expect. With the political climate still fresh in the air after years of divisive rhetoric, it seemed like the Academy had learned from the past and decided to keep it low-key this year. Gone were the outbursts, replaced by a more cautious and, frankly, quite dull evening. A source, who was present at the ceremony, shared with me that presenters and nominees were given strict instructions to keep political opinions at bay and avoid controversy—unless, of course, they popped an Ozempic gummy. Yet, this restraint might have led to one of the least memorable Oscars we’ve seen in a while. Unexpected Winners and Odd Thank Yous One surprising highlight of the night was Anora, which took home five major awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. The film, centered around a young Brooklyn call girl falling for a Russian oligarch’s son, was both provocative and emotional. Director Sean Baker’s acceptance speech included a touching tribute to the sex worker community, thanking them for sharing their stories and life experiences with him. His sincere words of gratitude might have raised some eyebrows, but he definitely kept the evening interesting with that heartfelt moment. A Forgotten Star In a rather cold move, the Oscars producers seemingly ignored the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, who tragically passed away just days before the ceremony. The former Gossip Girl actress, only 39 years old, was notably left out of the In Memoriam segment, which didn’t go unnoticed by viewers. In a cruel twist, they also neglected to acknowledge her former co-star, Blake Lively, who many felt had been equally forgotten in this moment. Political Moments That Missed the Mark The night wasn’t entirely free of political moments, though. Actress Daryl Hannah, while presenting the Best Editing award, quietly whispered “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine). While this moment was subtle, you could almost feel the tension backstage as crew members braced for potential backlash. It wasn’t the most tactful political statement, but it was certainly the most audibly political moment of the night. The Most Loved Moment of the Night If there was one moment that truly warmed everyone’s heart, it was the tribute to the Los Angeles firefighters who had bravely fought the Palisades and Eaton fires. The crowd’s raucous applause was certainly deserved, but it did spark a bit of a side-eye moment—why not offer them some water or, perhaps, an actual mayor to acknowledge their bravery properly? The Wardrobe Malfunction That Never Came During the presentation of the Best Documentary Short award, I was on the edge of my seat, half-expecting some sort of wardrobe malfunction from Molly O’Brien, who won for The Only Girl in the Orchestra. Alas, no such drama unfolded, but I did wonder if someone at the Academy could have given her some double-sided tape to avoid any potential mishaps. Musical Mishaps and Awkward Performances The night’s musical performances certainly left much to be desired. From Doja Cat’s painful rendition of Diamonds Are Forever to the awkwardness of Camille’s overly indulgent performance, things went downhill quickly. However, nothing quite topped Raye’s disastrous take on Adele’s Skyfall, where she was dressed as an Amy Winehouse impersonator, but with none of the talent to back it up. Conan’s Struggling Opening Number Speaking of comedy, host Conan O’Brien didn’t exactly kick off the night with a bang. His opening number quickly became forgettable and, honestly, downright uncomfortable. But things really took a bizarre turn when he made a creepy reference to Demi Moore’s movie The Substance, pulling off a gory stunt that felt out of place and distasteful. The whole thing seemed like an awkward homage to Billy Crystal’s parody of The English Patient, but it didn’t land anywhere near as well. Gum Tossing, Facial Hair, and Awkward Moments There were some truly cringe-worthy moments as well, starting with Adrien Brody’s bizarre behavior when accepting his Best Actor award. He literally stopped halfway to the stage to toss his chewing gum into his partner’s hands, turning the entire moment into something oddly unsavory. Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus, bless her heart, sported a look that reminded many of her father Billy Ray, especially with her lack of eyebrows. A Speech That Went On Too Long Perhaps one of the most aggravating moments came when Camille, winner of Best Song for Emilia Perez, began her speech with a painfully embarrassing display that caused even her collaborator to escape the stage in embarrassment. This moment was so grating that some viewers were calling for a new Oscars rule: anyone who delivers the worst speech of the night should forfeit their Oscar, passing it to the next highest vote-getter. It might just save us from future cringe-fests. Best ‘Rested’ Award Goes to Mick Jagger On a lighter note, Mick Jagger’s appearance definitely sparked some admiration. At 81, the Rolling Stones frontman looked remarkably “rested” and fabulous. If only someone could give him the business card of whoever is performing his cosmetic surgery—he may be onto something with that youthful glow. As the Oscars closed, it was clear the night had been filled with moments both memorable and utterly forgettable. While some winners and speeches were worthy of applause, the overall tone of the night felt less about celebrating film and more about avoiding controversy. Still, that doesn’t mean the entire evening was without its highlights—or its fair share of laughs.

The Oscars in 2025 were a spectacle, though not exactly in the way you might expect.

With the political climate still fresh in the air after years of divisive rhetoric, it seemed like the Academy had learned from the past and decided to keep it low-key this year.

Gone were the outbursts, replaced by a more cautious and, frankly, quite dull evening.

A source, who was present at the ceremony, shared with me that presenters and nominees were given strict instructions to keep political opinions at bay and avoid controversy—unless, of course, they popped an Ozempic gummy.

Yet, this restraint might have led to one of the least memorable Oscars we’ve seen in a while.

Unexpected Winners and Odd Thank Yous

One surprising highlight of the night was Anora, which took home five major awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress.

The film, centered around a young Brooklyn call girl falling for a Russian oligarch’s son, was both provocative and emotional.

Director Sean Baker’s acceptance speech included a touching tribute to the sex worker community, thanking them for sharing their stories and life experiences with him.

His sincere words of gratitude might have raised some eyebrows, but he definitely kept the evening interesting with that heartfelt moment.

A Forgotten Star

In a rather cold move, the Oscars producers seemingly ignored the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, who tragically passed away just days before the ceremony.

The former Gossip Girl actress, only 39 years old, was notably left out of the In Memoriam segment, which didn’t go unnoticed by viewers.

In a cruel twist, they also neglected to acknowledge her former co-star, Blake Lively, who many felt had been equally forgotten in this moment.

Political Moments That Missed the Mark

The night wasn’t entirely free of political moments, though. Actress Daryl Hannah, while presenting the Best Editing award, quietly whispered “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine).

While this moment was subtle, you could almost feel the tension backstage as crew members braced for potential backlash.

It wasn’t the most tactful political statement, but it was certainly the most audibly political moment of the night.

The Most Loved Moment of the Night

If there was one moment that truly warmed everyone’s heart, it was the tribute to the Los Angeles firefighters who had bravely fought the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The crowd’s raucous applause was certainly deserved, but it did spark a bit of a side-eye moment—why not offer them some water or, perhaps, an actual mayor to acknowledge their bravery properly?

The Wardrobe Malfunction That Never Came

During the presentation of the Best Documentary Short award, I was on the edge of my seat, half-expecting some sort of wardrobe malfunction from Molly O’Brien, who won for The Only Girl in the Orchestra.

Alas, no such drama unfolded, but I did wonder if someone at the Academy could have given her some double-sided tape to avoid any potential mishaps.

Musical Mishaps and Awkward Performances

The night’s musical performances certainly left much to be desired.

From Doja Cat’s painful rendition of Diamonds Are Forever to the awkwardness of Camille’s overly indulgent performance, things went downhill quickly.

However, nothing quite topped Raye’s disastrous take on Adele’s Skyfall, where she was dressed as an Amy Winehouse impersonator, but with none of the talent to back it up.

Conan’s Struggling Opening Number

Speaking of comedy, host Conan O’Brien didn’t exactly kick off the night with a bang.

His opening number quickly became forgettable and, honestly, downright uncomfortable.

But things really took a bizarre turn when he made a creepy reference to Demi Moore’s movie The Substance, pulling off a gory stunt that felt out of place and distasteful.

The whole thing seemed like an awkward homage to Billy Crystal’s parody of The English Patient, but it didn’t land anywhere near as well.

Gum Tossing, Facial Hair, and Awkward Moments

There were some truly cringe-worthy moments as well, starting with Adrien Brody’s bizarre behavior when accepting his Best Actor award.

He literally stopped halfway to the stage to toss his chewing gum into his partner’s hands, turning the entire moment into something oddly unsavory.

Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus, bless her heart, sported a look that reminded many of her father Billy Ray, especially with her lack of eyebrows.

A Speech That Went On Too Long

Perhaps one of the most aggravating moments came when Camille, winner of Best Song for Emilia Perez, began her speech with a painfully embarrassing display that caused even her collaborator to escape the stage in embarrassment.

This moment was so grating that some viewers were calling for a new Oscars rule: anyone who delivers the worst speech of the night should forfeit their Oscar, passing it to the next highest vote-getter.

It might just save us from future cringe-fests.

Best ‘Rested’ Award Goes to Mick Jagger

On a lighter note, Mick Jagger’s appearance definitely sparked some admiration.

At 81, the Rolling Stones frontman looked remarkably “rested” and fabulous.

If only someone could give him the business card of whoever is performing his cosmetic surgery—he may be onto something with that youthful glow.

As the Oscars closed, it was clear the night had been filled with moments both memorable and utterly forgettable.

While some winners and speeches were worthy of applause, the overall tone of the night felt less about celebrating film and more about avoiding controversy.

Still, that doesn’t mean the entire evening was without its highlights—or its fair share of laughs.