As one of the most prestigious celebrity events of the year, you’d expect the Critics Choice Awards to have some bougie catering. But stars and social media users alike were shocked when the best the awards ceremony could muster was pizza in a bag.
In a now-viral clip, Oprah Winfrey and the cast of The Color Purple were left speechless by the meal. While Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson dug straight in, the others were less than enthusiastic. Fantasia Barrino gave the camera a deadpan stare, mouthing, “Where are the lamb chops,” while Winfrey was left with her mouth hanging open before ultimately declining the meal, saying, “I’m not messing up my lips.”
While the pizza bags were left untouched, they at least made an impression on social media, with the clip amassing 2.4 million views on TikTok. And viewers didn’t mince their words. “$5000 dress and I am eating pizza out of a bag,” one lamented. “You mean to tell me all that damn money they spend on the awards and all they get is pizza?” another asked.
@jznotthatjayz Are you Fantasia, Taraji, Danielle, or Oprah in this scenario #criticschoiceawards ♬ original sound – jznotthatjayz
“I’m definitely Fantasia because no ma’am! You will not feed me after school food in my gown,” a third said. Meanwhile, other viewers couldn’t get over the corporate vibe of it all, with one joking that “corporate America isn’t the only place where pizza is used in lieu of a raise.”
“Its giving corporate boys lunch,” another said.
The menu couldn’t be more different than that of other awards shows, with the Golden Globes guests being served eye-wateringly-expensive sushi from Japanese restaurant Nobu. As the night went on, the pizza in the bag seemed to become more and more infamous—Paul Giamatti even brought it up on-stage.
“Everybody get their pizza in a bag, by the way? I think that’d be a good endorsement. Paul Giamatti for pizza in a bag,” he quipped. Director Jen D’Angelo even took to her Instagram to share a photo of the pizza, describing the flatbread as “absolutely revolting 3D printed ass pizza.”
Needless to say, we probably won’t be seeing any pizza in a bag at the Oscars.
The Daily Dot reached out to the Critics Choice Awards via email.