The 88th Oscar Awards ceremony on Sunday (Feb 28) was a much talked about affair, what with the OscarsSoWhite controversy having being raging on social media for months. But there was another reason why the awards were talked about after they happened: the apparent snub that Jenny Beavan received as she got her Oscar for Best Costume Design for Mad Max: Fury Road.
In a short seconds-long clip being circulated - and trending - on the web after the awards was Beavan walking down the aisle to claim her award as her name was announced. In the clip, all of the seven men seen sitting along the aisle are not clapping for her.
In fact, nominee Alejandro González Iñárritu (who eventually won Best Director) is actually demonstrated keeping his arms crossed and looking like he might actually be glaring at Beavan as she tromps down the aisle.
Director of journalistic movie Spotlight Tom McCarthy is seen what looks like covering his mouth and giggling. Steve Golin, producer of The Revenant and Spotlight seems to be looking Beavan up and down coldly.
The Internet has been rampant about speculation as to the possible reasons why Beavan looked like she was being snubbed, if she was.
One possible explanation is that since Beavan was sitting in the back of the room along with other technical-award nominees, maybe by the time she reaches the front of the room, those featured in the clip had already finished clapping. The Dolby Theater, after all, is no small room.
One guess that (predictably) took no time to raise its head was that Iñárritu was mad he didn't win. However, this was put an end to soon enough by Iñárritu in a statement to Slate. He said he believed Jenny Beavan to be "a masterful costume designer and very deserving of the Oscar for Mad Max: Fury Road.". He also said he was mad, but at the editing and omitting of the truth - which is that he did clap for Beavan as she climbed up the stairs to receive her award.
Another not so charitable interpretation of the alleged snub is that everyone was too taken aback by Beavan's appearance. Beavan wore baggy black pants, a faux leather jacket with a skull like that of Mad Max's Immortan Joe, and a scarf that was supposed to look like an oil rag.
This is not the first time; Beavan seems to cheerfully subverse the shiny, perfect trend that Hollywood emanates. She later told reporters that she doesn't do 'frocks or heels.' A few weeks ago she wore something similar to the BAFTAs - where she also won.
