Putting on the Oscars is, based on the stories people have told, one of the most complex television productions of the year. With a live show anything can happen, and sometimes it does. While this year went by without a controversial on-stage slap, the show did pay tribute to a previous Oscars controversy, by having John Cena appear on screen (nearly) naked, and it turns out making that happen was quite the undertaking.
One of the 2024 Academy Awards' funniest moments came when Jimmy Kimmel referenced the 1974 Oscars show when an actual streaker crossed the stage during the show. This was followed by a bit in which John Cena, with a strategically placed (and strategically large) award envelope shuffled across the stage, apparently nude. Speaking with Variety, Disney TV’s Rob Mills reveals how the bit was done, and what was necessary to get it by Standards and Practices, saying…
I’m going to educate you a little here. A bulge cannot be showing, and you can’t show crack. It was also, ’What happens if he drops that card?’ So, we made sure that, for all intents and purposes, he looked like a Ken doll up front. His crack was covered in the back and then the envelope was Velcro-ed on there so it wouldn’t fall. But beyond that, he was naked.
Cena was on stage to present the award for Costume Design, a fitting choice considering that he didn’t look like he was wearing any clothing at all, and thus could use a costume at all. Instead, Cena was wearing a piece of clothing that prevented anything from being seen that would have caused an FCC violation but still held up the illusion of nudity.
The question of the envelope slipping out of place was a major concern, and while S&P wanted something done that made it clear Cena wasn’t naked, that would have destroyed the comedy of the bit. They found a way to cover the actor so that, if something went wrong, nothing lewd would occur.
It seems S&P was worried about complaints from viewers who wouldn’t have found the joke very funny. In the end, however, the producers of the Oscars were able to get the bit to a place where everybody was happy with it, though producer Molly McNearney says she’s sure Standards & Practices would have preferred they not push the… envelope so far…
They were sweating. I think at the end we all got to a spot where we were comfortable, S&P was comfortable, and it didn’t compromise the comedy a bit. I was very thankful that we didn’t have to send him out there in tighty whities, which I’m sure legal would have preferred.
In the end, it’s far from clear simply watching the show if John Cena is wearing anything at all, which McNearney says is exactly what she wanted from the bit. Credit goes to John Cena as well who was clearly game for the joke and pulled it all off perfectly.
