Nicole Kidman’s ‘Ugly’ Orgasms, and Other Oscar Snubs

Kidman's "not pretty" orgasms were too powerful. Instead, they were silenced by men who've likely only ever seen fake ones.

By Audra Heinrichs  |  January 23, 2025 | 12:06pm
Photo Credit: Studiocanal, A24, Focus Features EntertainmentMovies
Nicole Kidman’s ‘Ugly’ Orgasms, and Other Oscar Snubs

When it comes to the Academy Awards, snubs are inevitable. And when the voting body’s demographics are 81 percent white and 67 percent male, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the results won’t reflect the thoughts of the shes, theys, and gays that bravely serve as the backbone of the box office.

On Thursday, Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennot announced the full list of Oscar nominations and revealed that among this year’s scorned is Nicole “I’ll do anything for cinema” Kidman. That’s right. America’s babygirl was not nominated for her role in Halina Reijn’s transgressive take on female desire. Her “not pretty” orgasms were too powerful. Instead, they were silenced by men who’ve likely only ever seen fake ones.

While I agree with the arguments that Babygirl isn’t deserving of the gold when compared to its peers, I do think Kidman should’ve been given something for her turn as a high-powered—and equally high-strung—CEO seeking solace from her own shame and sexual suppression. Who else would be able to fake a guttural orgasm and then dissolve into fits of tears over and over again? And go full frontal at age 57? Or, rave in a pussybow blouse? Nicole gulped milk repeatedly for god’s sake! Suffice it to say: this is my 2025 The Iron Claw.

Other snubs include: Pamela Anderson for The Last Showgirl (only one Hollywood comeback story allowed per award show season and Demi Moore is it, apparently!); Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths (#OscarsSoWhite lives on); Daniel Craig for Queer (his performance scared the living daylights out of the academy’s straight male population, I’m sure); Adam Pearson (the only actor who actually lives with neurofibromatosis in A Different Man…a film—in part—about neurofibromatosis); Nosferatu (Lily Rose Depp! Bill Skarsgård! Nicholas Hoult! Robert Eggers! WTF!); and finally, Challengers. Notice how I didn’t include Selena Gomez’s omittance?

Now, never mind that all of the aforementioned have either won or accumulated scores of award nominations this season—from the BAFTAs to the SAG Awards. More importantly, they invited some of the most significant cultural moments of 2024. The Pamaissance? A Babyratu Christmas? Three-way kissing and churro biting??? And the fact that not one but two of the most famous film scores in the last decade (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ Challengers, and Hans Zimmer’s, Dune: Part II) were deemed “ineligible” by the academy? Nothing short of an injustice. They turned the theater into a club and made audiences yearn to surf the desert on a sandworm. But sure, let’s continue to nominate a mournful piano and a song about vaginoplasty.

I could continue, but you get it. As for the surprise nominations quelling my rage: Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly trans woman to be considered for Best Actress; Monica Barbaro with a first-time recognition for her superb portrayal of Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown; Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump in The Apprentice (justice for his Actors on Actors snub); and all the other first-timers.

Despite the raging L.A. wildfires, the ceremony will be held on March 2 and will reportedly “reflect on the recent events while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles.” Nice spin. On a less cynical note: no original songs will be performed throughout the ceremony this year so, blessedly we will not be subjected to anything from Emilia Pérez.

Read (and rave over) the entire list of nominations here.

 
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