The 2024 Oscars brought out all the stars for its big night, including quite a few that weren't even nominated. While the Super Mario Bros. Movie was a billion-dollar hit that supported the successful games, it did not receive a single nomination for the night. I had mostly made my peace with it, right up until Anya Taylor-Joy took the stage with Chris Hemsworth and suddenly I'm fuming about "Peaches" getting overlooked all over again.
Box office success does not equal critical acclaim. and CinemaBlend's rough review of Super Mario Bros. was evidence enough of that. The quality of the movie can be debated, and it's ok to watch a movie that isn't necessarily Oscar-worthy, but Jack Black getting snubbed for Academy Award For Best Music with "Peaches" was one of the more egregious snubs of this award-show season. I was upset about it, along with CinemaBlend's Ryan LaBee, and I'm just as miffed now. I know it was a competitive category this year, but you're telling me this iconic masterpiece wasn't as deserving as "I'm Just Ken?" Let's all reflect on how great this song is:
That video has 104 million views on YouTube, and just as Jack Black eventually came to accept, it slaps. By comparison, the official audio video for "I'm Just Ken" has 14 million views. No disrespect to Ryan Gosling and his performance at the Oscars of the song, but Black is a Grammy winner. The Oscars passed up the opportunity to have yet another Grammy winner on stage in addition to Billie Eilish, and the Academy said, "Nah, we're good." I just can't believe it.
The good news is that while Jack Black's performance didn't get recognition from The Oscars, it almost certainly played a role in the massive success of the movie. Nintendo has already shared a few details on the upcoming sequel, which is expected in April of 2026.
To go back to the awards show, it was odd to have Anya Taylor-Joy introduce the animated features category, especially since she voiced one of the main characters in a movie snubbed by The Oscars. Let's be honest, the first movie had a problem highlighting Peach as is, so it felt like insult to injury to peddle her out for the exact award she could've had a part in but was overlooked. Couldn't they have swapped her for any other award in the evening?
To be clear, Anya Taylor-Joy doesn't seem to be all that miffed about the situation. As for Jack Black, he joked about a snub song, but it was done very tongue-in-cheek. I guess what I'm saying here is that none of the people who worked on this movie are nearly as worked up about it as I am. That doesn't quell my rage, but it may make some readers lower their pitchforks a bit.
The 2024 Oscars rolls on over at ABC, and Super Mario Bros. is available to stream on Netflix. Give it a watch again if only to re-live the beauty that is "Peaches," and continue to be astounded that it wasn't nominated!
