Oscars 2024

Why Are Gamers Upset About Ludwig Göransson’s Oscars Acceptance Speech?

by
ludwig goransson
Getty Image

In a relatively short time, 39-year-old Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson has become a favorite of both hip-hop fans and geek fandoms online thanks to his expansive oeuvre. Since 2011, he’s garnered attention from the former for his production work alongside Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Meanwhile, fans of sci-fi epics and superhero movies know him for his contributions to scores for massive multimedia franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars.

However, there’s one group that isn’t too happy with him this week: Gamers. A search for his name on social media outlets today would surface a roiling debate over Göransson’s comments on Sunday during his Oscars acceptance speech. After receiving the award for Best Original Score for Oppenhaimer (his second win after receiving one in 2018 for Black Panther), he thanked his parents “for giving me guitars and drum machines instead of video games.”

This has obviously riled the gaming community, who view themselves as oft-put-upon despite the gaming industry’s record worldwide profits and popularity. There’s probably a whole 2000-word article to be written about why they feel this way, but in general, they seem salty that Göransson appeared to deride their hobby in his thanks to his parents. Since I started off talking about hip-hop, there’s no better example to use here than the homie Mega Ran, a stalwart of the so-called “nerdcore” subgenre of rap, who called the comments “an unnecessary bit of shade.”

Over on Twitter, the discourse has gotten heated, with many gamers rightly pointing out that video games have featured or inspired some of the most recognizable music in pop culture, from the Mario theme to the chiptune subgenre that reproduces the 8- and 16-bit sounds of millennial nostalgia for original works.

Of course, there’s no speaking for Mr. Göransson either way, but whether he was legitimately putting games down or just joking about his parents’ refusal to let him have something many, many other ’90s kids begged their parents to have (many to no avail), one positive to take away from this whole kerfuffle is an appreciation of the wide range of musical styles in video game music. Maybe as a mea culpa, he can compose the music for a triple-A game or two, just to prove he can.

Ice Spice Fiercely Clapped Back After A Fan Expressed Their Disapproval Of Her 2024 Oscars After-Party Dress

by
Ice Spice 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Getty Image

Actors Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr., and Ryan Gosling (aka our forever Ken) were the breakout stars of the 2024 Oscars.

However, Ice Spice was the talk of the official after-party presented by Vanity Fair. The “Think U The Sh*t (Fart)” rapper’s barely there black sheer lace dress left little to the imagination. Ice Spice’s garment was only rivaled by John Cena’s naked onstage cameo during the ceremony.

After photos from the party began circulating online, users weighed in on Ice Spice’s look. One user expressed disapproval, writing, “I wish her stylist would try harder… same lace bodysuit back to back.” The jab at the musician’s stylist, Timothy Luke Garcia, didn’t sit well with Ice Spice, so she fiercely clapped back, responding directly to the user.

“Let’s see u b*tches in custom Dolce,” she wrote.

This isn’t the first time users have taken issue with Ice Spice’s wardrobe choices. Back on Halloween 2023, her Betty Boop costume caused a stir. However, she isn’t apologizing for her sexy looks. She doubled down on her fiery response to the fan’s remarks on her Oscar look with a sprinkle of sarcasm. “Sorry for being a meanie,” she wrote. “I was only tryna hurt your feelings because you hurt mine :’P.”

Ryan Gosling Brought The Kenergy To His Performance Of ‘I’m Just Ken’ At The 2024 Oscars

by
ryan margot
abc

Can you feel the Kenergy? You can if you watch Ryan Gosling perform “I’m Just Ken” in a pink suit. The yearning power ballad, written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, was a show-stopping number in Barbie, the highest-grossing movie of 2023 — and a highlight of the 2024 Oscars with cameos from Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Emma Stone, and even Slash.

Check out the video below.

The thing is, “I’m Just Ken” almost didn’t make it into Barbie. “At that first screening the song wasn’t working. I panicked. The humor wasn’t translating and Greta had to fight,” Ronson told the Times. “The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said, ‘With every inch of my body.’ And then there was a big swing.”

The song has even become an unlikely inspirational anthem. “I know I’ll sound like David Brent, but the song helped young boys,” Ronson said. “My friend’s eight-year-old got broken up with and he said, ‘It’s OK, because Ken got broken up with by Barbie.’ The song tells boys that it’s OK to be runner-up. The internet’s caused a level of isolation in boys and this idea of male camaraderie and sharing your feelings is a nice and unexpected thing to come out of it.”

You can find the updated list of Oscar winners here.

Who Is Performing At The 2024 Oscars?

by
Ryan Gosling Ken Barbie
Warner Bros.

For a little while, there was some uncertainty about whether Ryan Gosling would perform his Barbie movie favorite “I’m Just Ken” at the 2024 Oscars. A few days ago, though, Variety confirmed that he will take the Academy Awards stage to bust out the song, and now the Academy itself has revealed the full list of musical performers set to play their songs at this year’s ceremony, on March 10 at 7 p.m. ET.

Who Is Performing At The 2024 Oscars?

There are five songs nominated for the Best Original Song award this year, and as Variety notes, all of them will be performed during this year’s ceremony. The list of songs and their performers is as follows:

  • “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot (performed by Becky G, music and lyrics by Diane Warren)
  • “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie (performed by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson, music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)
  • “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony (performed by Jon Batiste, music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson)
  • “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers Of The Flower Moon (performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers, music and lyrics by Scott George)
  • “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell).