March 10, Rhonda Garelick, distinguished professor of English and Journalism at SMU Dallas, for a commentary about John Cena’s gag to come on stage in the buff to assist in the presentation of the Best Costume Design at the Academy Awards March 10. Published in Garelick’s New York Times ‘Face Forward’ column under the heading What’s So Funny About a Naked Man?: https://tinyurl.com/5dxy9bhc
John Cena’s ‘streaker manqué’ routine at the Oscars was pretty funny. In an obvious setup, host Jimmy Kimmel asked, “Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today?” upon which a seemingly undressed Mr. Cena popped his head out from behind the curtain to say, “I changed my mind, I don’t want to do the streaker bit.” When Mr. Kimmel reminded him that it was all for comedy, Mr. Cena replied with faux seriousness, “the male body is not a joke.”
But it was a joke. And soon, an entirely naked, and remarkably buff, Mr. Cena came onstage to introduce the Best Costume Design, nervously grasping the sealed Oscar envelope over his genitals, as a makeshift fig leaf. The audience howled as he inched along, hobbling sideways with painstaking little steps — trying to keep his envelope level and his private parts covered. Then, in a bit of television magic, he was draped in a toga-like, one-shouldered robe with a tasseled rope belt. Bit over, crowd delighted, and an obvious point made about the importance of costume.