j'adore galore

Bad Bunny, gay Barbie tees & Meryl Streep sees the future: 10 things we’re obsessed with this Oscars season

By
Three-panel image. On the left, Da'Vine Joy Randolph stands smiling backstage at the Golden Globes. She holds an award, wearing a low cut maroon dress and brilliant red lipstick. In the middle panel, Ryan Gosling smirks in a scene from "Barbie." He has platinum blonde hair and wears a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off, open to reveal his chest. In the right panel, Emma Stone stares blankly into the camera in a promo pic for "Poor Things." She has blue paint smudged over her eyebrows and red paint smudged on her lips.
Image Credit: Getty Images/Warner Bros./Searchlight Pictures

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

We’re not talking about Christmas. Nor are we hinting at Madonna bringing out Kylie Minogue or the start of Daylight Savings Time. But those are definitely positives.

We’re referring to this weekend’s Oscars –– the world’s most glamorous, star-powered, three hour-plus awards show. And most importantly, an ample opportunity for gays to share their plentiful pop-culture opinions with anyone who will listen.

Honestly, it’s been a hard week –– we were reminded how expensive it is being gay, Grindr announced new changes, and Nicholas Galitzine got us needlessly fired up.

Hollywood’s biggest night offers us a temporary reprieve from day-to-day life. Even if Oppenheimer will likely sweep and they snubbed All of Us Strangers. (We love you, Andrew Scott!)

The 96th Academy Awards air at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 10 on ABC. And based on the show’s history of on-air drama, you’re going to want to tune in live. Or at least stalk social media for a play-by-play.

Without further ado, the Oscar goes to… these 10 things that we’re obsessed with this awards season.

1. Barbie(TM): The World Tour by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal

The hardest part about awards season ending? We won’t see Margot Robbie don any more Barbie-inspired lewks on the red carpet! Throughout the press tour for last year’s highest-grossing movie, the Barbie star dedicated herself to her plastic counterpart, wearing recreations of the doll’s most iconic outfits. These weren’t just any off-the-rack Amazon costumes –– in fact, a lot of them were Versace –– but the actors’ strike cut the tour short, meaning there’s so many fits we didn’t even get to see.

Thankfully, Robbie and stylist Andrew Mukamal documented their herstoric endeavor in Barbie (TM): The World Tour –– available for pre-order for $49.50 on Amazon. Featuring photos by fashion photog Craig McDean, written contributions from Robbie, and sketches, this hardcover is destined to live on the coffee tables of boys who grew up playing with Barbies for years to come.

2. “I don’t think we have enough hot dogs” Baseball Hat

Two-panel image. On the left, a black baseball hat reading "I don't think we have enough hot dogs" in white text. On the right, Julianne Moore stands looking into a tall fridge in a scene from "May December." Subtitles read: "[dramatic piano music playing]."
Image Credit: Etsy/Netflix

Todd Haynes’ May December only snagged one nom at this year’s Oscars (Best Original Screenplay), but his high-camp Netflix flick won’t soon be forgotten by the gays. If not for Natalie Portman’s detached but enchanted performance, then for this lisped line reading from queen Julianne Moore: “I don’t think we have enough hot dogs.”

It’s a bizarre and dramatic piece of dialogue, fully deserving of its memorialization on this quirky Baseball Hat, available in a handful of colors for $38 on Etsy. Justice for Gracie!

3. The ABCs of Book Banning

I’m an unashamed film geek when it comes to the Academy Awards, and one of my favorite categories to follow is Best Documentary Short. The five nominees typically play in a program at indie theaters across the country, but most of them are available on streaming, like arguable frontrunner The ABCs of Book Banning on Paramount+.

Much has been made about conservative school boards banning books featuring age-appropriate LGBTQ+ and racial themes, but the directors don’t get bogged down by the politics. Instead, they turn to elementary-aged students and authors –– like Lil Miss Hot Mess who penned The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish –– who speak to the actual victims of the right-wing panic. As one kid points out: “Everyone deserves to have these beautiful books to read, to learn, etcetera!”

4. “Your generosity conceals something dirtier and meaner.”

If you haven’t seen French legal drama –– and surprise five-time nominee –– Anatomy of a Fall, you’re missing out! It’s the type of film that would never fall on American moviegoers’ radar without Oscars pickup, but it’s a riveting story about a writer (Best Actress nominee Sandra Hüller) trying to prove her innocence after her husband’s mysterious death.

There’s queer affairs! Unexpected twists! An adorable dog! And of course, incredible dialogue delivered with intense ferocity, like when Hüller spits: “Your generosity conceals something dirtier and meaner.” Naturally, film gays have crowned her queen.

5. Gay Barbie Tees

Three-panel image. In the left panel, a black t-shirt featuring the Earring Magic Ken doll with blue text reading "Earring Magic." In the middle panel, a pink t-shirt reading "Twink." In the right panel, a black t-shirt reading "Bearbie" with a paw print over the "I."
Image Credit: Etsy

Although Barbie filmmaker Greta Gerwig was snubbed for Best Director, her drenched-in-pink, larger-than-life ode to the world’s most popular toy –– with surprising commentary on capitalism and the patriarchy –– was an undeniable cultural phenomenon. (Can you tell I’ve seen this movie six times?)

Because of Gerwig, Barbie and Ken (or Ken and Allan for the gays) will be a go-to couples’ Halloween costume for years to come –– and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” solidified an eternal spot on queer club playlists. If your closet is missing some pink (or you want to be the hit at any Fire Island party this summer) I highly recommend snagging some gay Barbie apparel, like a Bearbie or Twink tee ($25 each on Etsy), or this Earring Magic Ken shirt ($26.50) paying homage to the discontinued and queer-coded real-life doll.

6. Bad Bunny presenting at the big show

No, this hunky Puerto Rican rapper is not nominated for an Oscar. (Although he shared an award-worthy lip lock with Gael García Bernal in 2023’s Cassandro, a biopic on queer wrestler Saúl Armemndáriz.)

Bad Bunny is only presenting at this year’s show, but the style savvy 29-year-old can turn a lewk. Consider this my thank-you to showrunner Raj Kapoor, who’s also bringing back the show’s “Fab Five” presentations for acting categories.

7. Poor Things (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Vinyl

The vinyl for the Poor Things soundtrack is pictured on a white background. Its cover features Emma Stone in character from the film with blue paint smudged along her eyebrows and red paint on her lips. She stares plain faced. A purple and pink paint-splattered vinyl disc peeks out from the sleeve.
Image Credit: Waxwork Records

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (which is nominated for 11 awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress) is absurd, divisive, hilarious, and captivating. Basically, Bella Baxter, portrayed by Emma Stone, is like if Frankenstein was a woman who learned she was hot.

You know you’ve got a cult arthouse film if its soundtrack comes to vinyl. And fittingly, Poor Things‘ spiraling score, from first-time composer Jerskin Fendrix, is being pressed on a gorgeous purple and pink painted splatter disc, on pre-order for $32 online.

8. Da’Vine Joy Randolph. That’s it

Da'Vine Joy Randolph stands smiling backstage at the Golden Globes near a pink velvet curtain. She wears a low cut maroon dress with sequined decoration at the top. She has long brown hair and wears brilliant red lipstick.
Image Credit: Getty Images

Nothing is guaranteed at the Academy Awards. (Remember the Moonlight and La La Land fiasco?!) But Da’Vine Joy Randolph cinching the trophy for Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers is practically guaranteed.

With a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award under her belt, it’s gratifying to see an incredible actress receive her due. Especially after Hulu unforgivably canceled her 2020 series High Fidelity after one season. And she was dragged into the mess that was The Idol.

9. Getting too competitive in Oscar party games

Three-panel image. In the left panel, wine charms shaped like bottle caps that read "Best Director," "Best Actress," and other Academy Award categories in gold lettering. In the middle panel, templates for Academy Award BINGO and Ballot sheets, printed in golden lettering. In the right panel, a boxed card game that reads "Box Office Cinema Quiz." To its left, a stack of tan cards with indiscernible movie trivia questions printed in black.
Image Credit: Etsy/Etsy/Amazon

Permission to be overly invested in the outcome of awards shows is a gay privilege. And predictably, this year’s Best Actress race is sure to inspire endless and divisive discourse.

We affectionately refer to the Academy Awards as “the Gay Super Bowl” –– except for that year Madonna did the halftime show –– so it’s no surprise that the best Oscar parties are usually helmed by the gays. Unfortunately, we’re destined to a lifetime of competing with the budget and star power of Elton John.

Still, there’s a few surefire ways to make your get-together sparkle, like these Oscar Award Wine Charms ($15), a rousing round of Award Show Bingo ($8 template on Etsy), or betting on ballots. Still, if your picks fail to stack up, you can flex your film knowledge with a movie trivia game like Cinema Quiz ($20 on Amazon).

10. Meryl Streep Tarot Cards

Three-panel image. In the left panel, a deck of tarot cards featuring an illustration of Meryl Streep in a gold dress. The box reads "Meryl Tarot: Divination with Hollywood's High Priestess." In the far right panel, the back of the box showing off various illustrated cards. In the middle, a card featuring an illustration of Meryl as Julia Child with brown hair in a kitchen. It reads: "Temperance."
Image Credit: Smith Street Gift

I’m of the personal belief that Meryl Streep should be nominated at every Academy Awards. Even if she didn’t release a movie. And apparently, I’m not the only prophet of the Hollywood high priestess.

If you’re ever looking to evoke the spiritual powers of Julia Child, Miranda Priestly or Donna from Mamma Mia, you can turn to Meryl Tarot ($21.72 at Amazon) featuring future-seeing cards adorned with her most iconic characters. If anyone can save us, it’s her.

Related:

Colin Grafton takes a thirst trap, Jinkx Monsoon’s new scent & Wonka havoc: 10 things we’re obsessed with this week

Our weekly obsessions –– from Jinkx Monsoon’s new perfume, to Paul Mescal’s thighs, and a chocolate-less Wonka fail

Don't forget to share:

Discover more

This article includes links that may result in a small affiliate share for purchased products, which helps support independent LGBTQ+ media.

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated