The Oscars marks the biggest night of the year for many of Hollywood’s best and brightest, but this year’s ceremony has one major snub, and fans aren’t happy in the slightest.
The Oscars can be one of the most divisive nights in show business. From industry figures to at-home viewers, everyone has their favorites, and it’s easy to disappoint. This year, the roster is stacked with movies like Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Killers of the Flower Moon all battling it out for the most notable awards of the night.
As such, some of the biggest names in Hollywood have spent months doing the rounds. However, there’s one awards season darling who made a name for himself by being a downright adorable campaign pusher: Messi the dog. Having starred in Anatomy of a Fall, Messi attended the Oscars nominees luncheon — and caused quite a stir.
However, it sounds like there’s some beef brewing. Fans were horrified to hear that the Academy would not be inviting Messi to the Oscars ceremony, as he’d been subject to honest-to-god complaints. …Safe to say, that didn’t sit well with anyone.
Oscars fans are outraged that Anatomy of a Fall dog isn’t invited to ceremony
Multiple studios with movies up for nominations complained about Messi attending the Oscar nominees luncheon, and as a result, he won’t be attending the 96th Academy Awards. Upon hearing the news, movie (and dog) lovers were quick to take to social media to express their outrage.
we could’ve had messi the dog do this across the stage at the oscars but the academy hates fun pic.twitter.com/8cYLq0ZwBb
— Cris ✨ (@lionesspike) March 8, 2024
“Why are grown men and women beefing with a dog?” asked another.
When it came to the complaints against Messi, some demanded justice and wanted names. “If you go so far as complaining about a sweet dog at an awards show you should also consent to having your name released so everyone knows you did it,” one comment said.
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Another wrote: “Lol imagining adults complaining about a dog being at an Oscar nominees luncheon is deeply funny.”
Others argued that the complaints against Messi were nothing more than acts of insecurity from the other nominees. Anyone who watched clips of Messi at the luncheon will know that he stole the show (being the adorable good boy he is). What’s more, it was reported [via The Hollywood Reporter] that those who complained argued that his attendance gave Anatomy of a Fall an “advantage during the voting window.”
“If you feel threatened by a dog just make a better movie xoxo,” one user wrote. Another added: “They really mad a dog out-acted them.”
“Mind you, the dog gave a better performance than some of the nominees,” another response said.
The 96th Academy Awards will air on Sunday March 10 on ABC at 7:00pm EDT / 4:00pm PDT.