Tems' Stunning Oscars Gown Sparked Chatter About View-Blocking Ensembles
Singer and songwriter Tems’ Oscars look drew admiration from fans Sunday, but it also left some viewers at home scratching their heads.
Tems wore a stunning white Lever Couture gown that featured a cloud-like structured hood that extended above her head. The “Free Mind” singer was nominated this year for Best Original Song for “Lift Me Up,” the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” track she co-wrote.
Tems at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday in Hollywood.
While the singer’s look received some praise on social media, some Twitter users pointed out that Tems’ ensemble likely obstructed the views of guests seated behind her at the ceremony.
Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud. pic.twitter.com/HQ8lSYQBUV
— Jarrett Bellini (@JarrettBellini) March 13, 2023
I’m cryinnnnnnn
tems got that lady fighting for her life pic.twitter.com/Js06VdbyyU— alex medina (@mrmedina) March 13, 2023
Some even criticized the artist for seeming inconsiderate toward the people around her.
Why? So rude. #Oscarspic.twitter.com/S6Hwu6xvIm
— George Hahn (@georgehahn) March 13, 2023
Tems outfit at the Oscar is really condemnable, rude and selfish.
You blocked fellow attendees; they struggled to see what’s happening.
I pity guest craning their necks around Tems’ puffy garment in order to see the stage. pic.twitter.com/nL20vcXjio— President Eniola Daniel (@UnlimitedEniola) March 13, 2023
But other Twitter users took a more nuanced view of Tems’ gown.
Some people celebrated the fact that a Black woman unapologetically took up space at a historically white ceremony that has long faced criticism for a lack of diversity in its nominees and winners. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was slammed for shutting out several Black filmmakers and performers from recent films, such as “The Woman King” and “Till,” in its Oscars nominations this year.
“I applaud Tems for proudly and unapologetically taking up space and owning it, and I’m following her example,” journalist Carolyn Hinds tweeted.
BuzzFeed reporter Ade Onibada wrote in an article published Monday that Tems, who is Nigerian, wore an ensemble that was reminiscent of a gele, a traditional head tie worn in Nigeria.
Other people pointed out that celebrities, such as Lady Gaga, have worn view-blocking outfits at award ceremonies on several occasions.
“Lady Gaga been wearing contraptions to award shows for years and 3 other women have worn similar dresses this award season but SURE, call Tems obnoxious and inconsiderate,” tweeted criminal lawyer Olayemi Olurin.
Lady Gaga at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010 in Los Angeles.
Tems may have responded to some of the hoopla surrounding her Oscars look.
The singer tweeted several photos of her wearing the gown Sunday night, writing in the post, “Oops.”
CORRECTION: A photo caption was previously changed to refer to the 82nd Grammy Awards. The corrected caption refers to the 52nd Grammys.