What was meant as a light comic touch at the 98th Academy Awards quickly became one of the more unexpected talking points of the night, after a video showing the snack boxes placed under guests’ seats spread across social media and triggered a wave of amused, baffled and sometimes scathing reactions online. The boxes, handed out during Sunday night’s ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, were part of host Conan O’Brien’s running joke about movie-theatre prices and were described in his own note as a “Moderately Happy Meal.”
The boxes themselves were simple. Multiple reports from inside the ceremony said they included popcorn, bottled water and a sweet snack, though the exact candy appeared to vary depending on the package. E! said O’Brien’s pack contained Skinny Pop popcorn, Swedish Fish and water, while Entertainment Weekly reported boxes with Skinny Pop, water and Junior Mints, noting that “the candy may vary by box.” A clip shared from InStyle video producer Justine Manocherian showed a version containing water, popcorn and chocolate raisins, helping to explain why online viewers were discussing slightly different contents while reacting to the same story.
