John Cena's Nude Oscars 2024 Moment Had To Follow Two Specific & Explicit Rules
John Cena bared it all during a moment from the 2024 Oscars we'll never forget – and according to people behind the scenes, it was a complicated sequence to pull off.
In an interview with Variety that delved into some of the secrets of this year's Oscars telecast, producer Molly McNearney (who also happens to be host Jimmy Kimmel's wife and an executive producer on the show) and Disney executive Rob Mills revealed that John Cena's revealing presentation for best costume design had two very simple rules set by the FCC (the Federal Communications Commission) and S&P (standards and practices).
"There was a lot of reticence of not just a fine from the FCC, but potential complaints," Mills told the outlet before explaining the rules behind Cena's bit. "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."
This Oscars bit with John Cena had to skirt a lot of rules set by the FCC
Rob Mills and Molly McNearney went on to say that the standards and practices executives at ABC were nervous about the idea of John Cena being completely naked onstage at the Dolby Theater, even with the rules about cracks and bulges firmly in place. The fact that Cena's bit was a callback to a streaker who snuck onstage during the 1974 Oscars likely didn't help, but Mills and McNearney said that they got everything they wanted ... even though ABC's legal team wasn't thrilled.
"They were sweating," McNearney said, referencing the standards and practices executives. "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."
The sketch left a lot of viewers wondering if the actor was actually completely naked — which he was, for the most part (Cena wore something at the Oscars weirder than nudity in case something went wrong). "That's what I wanted!" McNearney revealed. "Maybe it's not what [S&P] wanted. That's definitely what I want!"
Fans absolutely loved John Cena's naked bit at the Oscars
In the end, Molly McNearney and Rob Mills fighting for John Cena's right to essentially be naked onstage at the Oscars was a huge hit with viewers. On X (formerly known as Twitter), audiences praised the bit, saying it was the best thing to happen all night. User @aflairytale loved Cena's delivery as he announced which award he was presenting, writing, "[J]ohn [C]ena just saying 'costumes...' was funnier than any other joke at the [O]scars so far lmao." User @movieboy69 agreed, saying, "Naked John Cena bit might be the greatest Oscar bit of all time."
X user @carolinerenard_ thinks the wrestler-turned-actor just has a gift for comedy in general, saying, "John Cena has such good comedic timing. He is actually such a good comedy actor." Similarly, @stunninggun praised Cena's willingness to make fun of himself: "[N]o matter what anyone says, [J]ohn [C]ena COMMITS."
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich had a pretty excellent idea for what the Oscars could have added in light of Cena's presenting gag. "[I]t should be illegal for the Oscars to be over before 10:30," he wrote. "[P]lenty of room for a best stunt award, full clips, a lifetime achievement award, a short animated documentary on the size and shape of John Cena's ass, whatever. [O]therwise good show."