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The 96th Annual Academy Awards were held on Sunday night, honouring some of the best films of 2023 (excluding Killers of the Flower Moon). It also featured a very nude John Cena, who lent his body to a cheeky bit referencing a similarly clothes-free attendee from Oscars history.

Cena wasn't up for any awards at the 2024 Oscars, though the well-known wrestler and actor did have a cameo in Best Original Song winner Barbie. Instead, he appeared onstage in his birthday suit to present the award for Best Costume Design alongside host Jimmy Kimmel.

SEE ALSO: All the winners from the 2024 Oscars

Poor Things ended up claiming that statue, but it wasn't the muscled masculine figure that captured most onlookers' attention. 

Why was John Cena naked at the Oscars?

Initially introducing the Best Costume Design category solo, Kimmel stated that it was the 50th anniversary of "what used to be the craziest moment in Oscar history" — a crown likely conceded when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards. Specifically, he recalled a streaking incident at the Oscars in 1974.

"Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today?" said Kimmel. He then took a moment to wait before repeating. "I said, 'Can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today?'"

At this, Cena tentatively poked his head out from behind the set to tell the host he'd changed his mind about doing the streaking bit. Performing a scripted skit, Cena claimed that streaking didn't feel appropriate for such an "elegant event."

"Honestly, you should feel ashamed right now for suggesting such a tasteless idea," said Cena. "The male body is not a joke."

Failing to persuade Cena to go through with it, Kimmel told the wrestler to just give out the award, acting frustrated as he handed the wrestler the winner's envelope before exiting. The naked and afraid man was then left to tentatively edge out onto stage, with nothing but a pair of Birkenstocks and an oversized envelope to protect his modesty.

"Costumes," Cena said to significant laughter. "They are so important. Maybe the most important thing there is."

He then noted he wouldn't be able to actually open the envelope, prompting Kimmel to return and announce the nominees for Best Costume Design.

Was John Cena really nude, and was that his real butt?

The television broadcast cut to a montage of the nominees, so those at home didn't see how Cena got wrapped in a pale pink garment that looked like a theatre curtain. However, videos subsequently shared on social media showed that the stage lights went down and four people ran onstage to dress him during this interval, ensuring Cena was more comfortable and presentable when announcing Poor Things the winner.

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Such backstage images confirmed that Cena was almost fully nude, only wearing a beige modesty garment to cover his genitals and butt. It also offered viewers a side-on view of his butt, with many expressing awe and admiration for its impressive shape and size.

Cena's intimidating glutes are no surprise to longtime fans, but their brief time on the Oscars' stage has likely won them at least a few more devotees.

Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Who streaked at the Oscars in 1974?

The Oscars was previously disrupted by unscheduled nudity in 1974, when photographer Robert Opel streaked across the stage during the 46th Academy Awards. Making his run as host David Niven attempted to introduce Elizabeth Taylor, Opel's display prompted laughter and applause from the crowd. Streaking had been a significant trend at the time, with the host noting that such an event "was almost bound to happen." 

"Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" Niven quickly quipped.

Opel didn't have any particular motive aside from perhaps advocating for a more permissive societal approach to nudity. He also noted that it would be useful for elevating his own profile.

"It just occurred to me that it might be an educative thing to do," Opel reportedly said afterward. "You know, people shouldn’t be ashamed of being nude in public. Besides, it’s a hell of a way to launch a career."

Peacemaker actor Cena doesn't need any help in that regard, and was an invited guest rather than a bare skinned interloper. Still, his unexpectedly undressed appearance has left a significant impression.

TL;DR: A five-year subscription to AdGuard VPN is on sale for £31.17, saving you 89% on list price.

Unless you're living completely off the grid, we all have an online presence. And with that presence, there comes risk and vulnerability. If you don't already have a virtual private network (VPN), it should shoot to the top of your list. Using a VPN helps keep you safer online and less vulnerable to the shady stuff that we all know happens there. For a limited time, you can get a five-year subscription to AdGuard VPN for just £31.17.

Whether you're browsing, streaming, or working remotely, AdGuard VPN helps ensure that your online activities remain private and secure no matter where you are. AdGuard has over 60 network locations, which means you can travel and still have secure internet access nearly anywhere you want to go.

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This offer gets you connected to AdGuard VPN on up to 10 devices at the same time but is only available to new users. With updates included, you'll have access to all of its super-fast servers in every location. It also comes with unlimited data for streaming and downloading. Plus, it's compatible with all platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Google Chrome.

Keep yourself and your family safe and protected online while home or away. Get this five-year subscription to AdGuard VPN for just £31.17, with no coupon needed.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard VPN AdGuard VPN (5-Year Subscription) £31.17 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: Find a wide range of free online courses from MIT on edX.

Lovers of learning should direct their attention to edX, because you can find a wide range of free online courses from some of the most famous educational institutions in the world. And that includes MIT.

To help you find the best free courses for you, we have checked out everything on offer from MIT and highlighted a selection of standout options to get you started. There should be something for everyone in this list.

These are the best free online courses from MIT this month:

• Becoming an Entrepreneur

• Biochemistry: Biomolecules, Methods, and Mechanisms

• Cell Biology: Transport and Signaling

• Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis

• Circuits and Electronics 2: Amplification, Speed, and Delay

• Circuits and Electronics 3: Applications

• Collaborative Data Science for Healthcare

• Derivatives Markets: Advanced Modeling and Strategies

• Energy Economics and Policy

• Financial Accounting

• Foundations of Modern Finance

• Genetics: Analysis and Applications

• Genetics: Population Genetics and Human Traits

• Genetics: The Fundamentals

• Introduction to Biology: The Secret of Life

• Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science

• Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python

• Machine Learning with Python: From Linear Models to Deep Learning

• Mathematical Methods for Quantitative Finance

• Supply Chain Analytics

• Sustainable Building Design

• Sustainable Energy

• Understanding the World Through Data

• World Music: Global Rhythms

These free courses do not come with a certificate of completion, but we're sure you can get over that. You can still learn at your own pace with unrestricted access to all the course materials, so there's nothing stopping you from enrolling.

Find the best free online courses from MIT on edX.

Opens in a new window Credit: MIT MIT Online Courses Get Deal

Cozy crime is a subgenre in which intriguing tales of murder boast a jaunty aesthetic that's irreverently twee. Think Only Murders in the Building, with its foolhardy amateur sleuths alternately investigating homicide and bickering over their podcast's production. Think Pushing Daisies, a candy-colored mystery series about a lovelorn pie-maker who can literally raise the dead to solve their murders. Think Sew Torn. 

Written and directed by Freddy Macdonald, this inventive indie crime comedy begins with a drug deal gone violently wrong, before stitching together a multi-thread tale of an unlikely criminal mastermind: a mild-mannered mobile seamstress played by Eve Connolly (Vikings). 

What's Sew Torn about?

Sew Torn is set in a picturesque village high in the mountains, where a pleasant business district boasts quaint shops. One such shop is owned by seamstress Barbara Duggen (Connolly), who offers custom embroideries alongside alterations. Further out, vibrant green pastures dotted with cows stretch to a mighty concrete bridge overlooking a misty valley, reaching even farther to stately homes, where a wealthy bride-to-be (a hilariously harsh Caroline Goodall) is in a snit over a fallen button. 

In an opening in which Barbara barely speaks, Macdonald swiftly sets up how this young woman has shrunken in the shadow of her late mother, the original mobile seamstress. Trapped by her dedication to carry on her mother's work even as the family business fails, Barbara's fingers twitch at rebellion as she stitches. Her urge for self-sabotage might be ruinous, but at least it could bring something new. By flicking a button into a floor vent, she must flee the growling bride to get another. Barbara's lovely commute back to her village is interrupted when she comes across a pair of bumbling gangsters on a blood-spattered, remote road.

A clever lass, Barbara takes one quick look at the scene and assesses from the felled motorcycles, hobbled goons, and scattered bags of white powder that the briefcase skittered down the road is full of cash. "A perfect crime," she says to herself, seeing a solution to her financial woes. She doesn't just pick up the money and run, though. Instead, Barbara uses her handy seamstress kit and its brightly colored threads to create a Rube Goldberg machine that should neatly dispose of the messier bits of this could-be heist. Despite her quick thinking, things don't exactly go to plan. 

Sew Torn offers a collection of possibilities and quirky characters. 

In 1998, writer/director Tom Tykwer awed critics with his high-energy crime thriller Run Lola Run, which featured a flame-haired Franka Potente chasing down several different solutions to save her scheming boyfriend from a deadly fate. Sew Torn offers Barbara a similar bargain. When her perfect crime proves deeply flawed (and fatal), rather than leaving her bleeding out in a cornfield, Macdonald thrusts her back onto that road, staring down the coveted briefcase once more. 

Armed with some hard-won knowledge from her previous encounter with the briefcase, Barbara tries a new plan; she calls the cops. Well, actually, this village is so small that she calls the cop, an elderly woman who is not only the sheriff but also the local notary and the justice of the peace. Far from a hard-ass, K Callan (Poker Face, Knives Out) brings the energy of Coen brothers comedy, as her character can suss out bullshit with ease yet exudes patience and empathy. She'll collar all three of these crooks with the sternness of a school marm teaching a lesson. 

Here and throughout the other threads, Barbara's choices knit in a reluctant gangster (Calum Worthy), a frantic thug (Thomas Douglas), a chatty embroidery enthusiast (Ron Cook), and a merciless kingpin (John Lynch). Each gets their moment to shine via Sew Torn's curious narrative structure. Some imbrue menace, while others give off agony, and still others a boisterous warmth. Yet all would be for naught if Connolly weren't crushing the lead role. 

Eve Connolly proves she's a captivating leading lady in Sew Torn. 

While this crime comedy can get quite silly with its violent slapstick, thread-centric machinations, and kooky criminals, Barbara is the straight man surrounded by stooges. Her expression is often drawn, her eyes spiked with calculation. While other characters bloviate about their lives, Barbara is a much more internal character, her quietness making her seem all the more an outsider in her hometown. But Connolly makes sure Barbara never feels flat or passive. Voiceovers framing the beginning and the end give audiences a peek into Barbara's thinking, but mostly we rely on Connolly's sharp facial expression and precise physicality for insight. 

All of this interiority makes a sharp contrast in the third thread of the film all the more exciting. In this sequence, Barbara's only path to survival is to throw herself into a dance number. It is explosive and inexplicable. Her limbs fling about madly while her face is sharply focused. This is not a celebration; it is a scheme tied to strings. And of all the incredible things she pulls off with thread, it's the most climactic and wickedly fun. 

Macdonald enhances the fantastical possibilities of this crime-ridden tale with color, using vivid hues but a medium contrast. There's grays within these tones, perhaps reflecting Barbara's boredom with these surroundings despite their beauty. Yet there's no ignoring the boldness of things like the dazzling blue of her eyes, the harsh red of blood, and the bright yellow thread wrapped around the giant bobbin at the back of her teal Volkswagen bug (a cutesy signifier of her trade). Notably, each color is reflected in literal threads that prove crucial to Barbara's plans. Each burst of color speaks to Barbara's possibilities for more than mending. She can remake the world around her or tear it to shreds. But what to do with that knowledge?

Thanks to a crackling cast, a clever color scheme, and a plotline that's uniquely knotty, Macdonald makes Sew Torn a sensational experience. It has the cheeky fun of a top-notch crime comedy without losing the edge of life-or-death stakes. With a series of possibilities being unspooled, the movie is delightfully unpredictable. Its leading lady lands each beat, be it one of harrumphing frustration, a outrageous dance, or a dangerous hope. And in the end, it leaves its audience dizzy but satisfied by its wild spins. 

Sew Torn was reviewed out of its World Premiere at SXSW 2024.

If you tend to avoid the spotlight, you don’t have to feel invisible at work. As an introvert, you can make yourself seen and heard—without pretending to be someone you’re not. Don’t wait for the “right” moment to jump in. Challenge yourself to be the second or third person to contribute in a meeting. This […]

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The name on everybody's lips at the 96th Academy Awards was Oppenheimer.

Christopher Nolan's historical drama took home the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as six other awards: Best Director (Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Cinematography.

The Oscar win marks the end of a dominant awards season for Oppenheimer, which picked up top prizes at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, PGA Awards, DGA Awards, BAFTAs, and Critics Choice Awards.

But Oppenheimer didn't just dominate awards season. It also crushed at the box office, with a global gross of just over $950 million as of writing this article. On top of all that, it became a pop culture sensation along with Barbie, its partner in Barbenheimer crime. (For its part, Barbie picked up one award, for Best Original Song for "What Was I Made For.") Truly, there was no stopping Oppenheimer this year.

How to watch: Oppenheimer is now streaming on Peacock.

Between delivering exquisite physical comedy and threatening to punch a baby, Emma Stone's performance in Poor Things has earned her her second Academy Award for Best Actress.

Stone played the lead role of Bella Baxter, a resurrected woman with a child's brain, in Yorgos Lanthimos' critically acclaimed film. Prior to the Oscars, she also won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics' Choice Award for Poor Things.

As Bella, Stone goes through the stages of growing up within the span of two and a half hours, moving from a toddler's waddle to uninhibited dance moves to graceful maturity. Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko called Stone "a force of nature" in the film, writing in her review that "This is a role that could have easily become a hammy feast in the wrong hands, but in Stone's it is divine."

This is Stone's second Oscar for Best Actress. She won her first in 2017 for her role in La La Land, and has previously been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Birdman and in The Favourite, her first collaboration with Lanthimos. This year, her work as a producer on Poor Things also earned her a Best Picture nomination.

How to watch: Poor Things is now streaming on Hulu.

Featured Video For You The (very) brief Oscars history of women nominated for Best Director

Christopher Nolan fans, the time has finally come: Nolan has won his first-ever Best Director Oscar for Oppenheimer.

Nolan has been nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards over the course of his career, including Best Director for Dunkirk; Best Original Screenplay for Memento and Inception; Best Adapted Screenplay for Oppenheimer; and Best Picture for Oppenheimer, Dunkirk, and Inception. Tonight's Oscar marks his first win.

In addition to the Oscar, Nolan picked up a number of major Best Director awards this year, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice Award, and DGA Award. His winning Best Director continues a banner night for Oppenheimer at the Oscars, which includes Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy.

How to watch: Oppenheimer is now streaming on Peacock.

Before presenting the award for Best Sound at the 2024 Oscars comedian John Mulaney explained, in rapid-fire detail, the nonsensical plot of Field of Dreams.

For those who don't remember the iconic film, in Mulaney's words, "He mows done corn and then there is a field and then he's like, 'I'm going to watch ghosts play baseball.' And the bank is like, 'You want to pay your mortgage?' And he's like, 'Nah, I'm going to watch ghosts play baseball.' And then he finds James Earl Jones who wrote The Boat Rocker which I thought was a real book late into my 20s."

SEE ALSO: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt bring their Barbenheimer beef to the Oscars stage

Then he explains what's weird about it: "Timothy Busfield pushes little Gabby Hoffman off the bleachers and she falls down and she's unconscious. Then Bush Lancaster is moonlight graham and he comes up and pats her on the back a couple times and he's like, 'Hot dog in the throat.' And then he can't go back in the game because I guess there is a rule in ghost baseball."

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The detail, precision, and audacity of this explanation proves one thing: This is a man who clearly loves the movies! Let him host the Oscars next year.

Featured Video For You The (very) brief Oscars history of women nominated for Best Director

Cillian Murphy has won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his leading role in Oppenheimer.

Murphy was tasked with shouldering Christopher Nolan's three-hour-long drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. Playing a historical figure over the course of his life is surefire catnip for the Academy Awards, but Murphy's performance is built less on grandiose showboating than it is on internal subtleties. His Oppenheimer is constantly at war with himself, his many ideological contradictions playing out in flickers across his face. As Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko predicted in her review, "Murphy will no doubt be heralded — perhaps by the Academy too — for his reserved yet largely riveting portrayal of a complicated man."

On top of winning his first Oscar off of his first nomination, Murphy also picked up the Golden Globe, SAG award, and BAFTA for his performance. Oppenheimer marks his sixth collaboration — and first lead role — with Nolan, with whom he also worked on Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and Dunkirk.

How to watch: Oppenheimer is now streaming on Peacock.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for March 11's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Annoying.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #996 is...

PESKY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

"What Was I Made For," Billie Eilish's existential Barbie single, has won the Academy Award for Best Original song. The win marks the second Oscar for Eilish and her brother/co-writer Finneas O'Connell, who also won in 2022 for their haunting Bond theme "No Time to Die."

(In a perfect world, they would also have at least been nominated for boy band gold "Nobody Like U" from Pixar's Turning Red.)

Eilish and O'Connell have been picking up wins all awards season long for their work on Barbie, taking home the Golden Globe and the Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media. The pair also performed "What Was I Made For" earlier in the broadcast, complete with an orchestra and a Barbie pink backdrop.

Other nominees for Best Original Song this year included "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from Killers of the Flower Moon, "It Never Went Away" from American Symphony, and "The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot, as well as "I'm Just Ken," another hit off Barbie's soundtrack, which Ryan Gosling performed earlier in the evening.

Guess it's true what Ken says: "Doesn't seem to matter what I do — I'm always number two." But when the competition is as poignant as "What Was I Made For?" can you really fault Barbie's existential angst for coming out on top?

How to watch: Barbie is now streaming on Max.

Ryan Gosling may not have won Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards, but he certainly won over the crowd with his lively rendition of Barbie's rock-meets-dream ballet banger "I'm Just Ken."

Gosling took to the stage with 65 male dancers to perform the Academy Award-nominated tune, which is nominated alongside another Barbie song, Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For." Other nominees for Best Original Song include "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from Killers of the Flower Moon, "It Never Went Away" from American Symphony, and "The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot.

For the performance itself, Gosling fully embraced the Kenergy he's been rocking since the beginning of the Barbie press tour. After beginning the number seated in the audience and serenading Margot Robbie, Gosling took the stage for a cowboy-themed homage to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that quickly descended into pink, sparkly madness. Mark Ronson and Slash from Guns N' Roses shredded on guitars. Ken actors Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kingsley Ben-Adir served as backup dancers. Greta Gerwig, Robbie, and America Ferrera joined in for a sing-along. In short? It was Kenergy, pure and distilled — and one of the highlights of the night.

How to watch: Barbie is now streaming on Max.

Lauded writer-director Wes Anderson has finally won his first Oscar — but not for the category you might expect.

Instead of taking home an Academy Award in a category where he's often picked up a nomination, like Best Screenplay, Anderson won for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2024 Academy Awards. Traditionally, this category honors up-and-coming filmmakers, making Anderson a large exception.

Anderson's Oscar comes courtesy of his short film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a nearly word-for-word adaptation of a Roald Dahl short story. It's one of four shorts based on Dahl's stories that Anderson adapted and directed for Netflix, the others being Poison, The Swan, and The Rat Catcher. In my review, I called The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar "Anderson at his most creative," and proof that the director is still growing even after decades in the game. This same level of creativity also comes through in 2023's Asteroid City, a tremendous film unjustly snubbed by the Academy in the same year it awarded The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

In addition to his nomination and win for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Anderson has been nominated for seven Oscars: Best Original Screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel; Best Animated Picture for Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs; and Best Picture and Best Director for The Grand Budapest Hotel.

How to watch: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is now streaming on Netflix.

Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling exchanged Barbenheimer barbs while presenting a tribute to 2023's best stunt performances at the 2024 Oscars. The two stars played the titular Barbenheimer's other halves: Oppenheimer's Kitty and Barbie's Ken.

SEE ALSO: The cult of Barbenheimer: In the pursuit of saving cinema, did we all lose our minds?

Before presenting the montage, Gosling said, "I'm happy that we can finally put this Barbenheimer rivalry aside." After teasing a little, Blunt replied sharply, "And has turned out that it wasn't much of a rivalry so..." — a reference to Oppenheimer's stellar awards run.

Blunt's remark led Gosling to come for Oppenheimer's throat. He said, "You know, I think I kind of figured out why it's called Barbenheimer and not Oppenbarbie... You're on the tail end because you rode Barbie's coat tales all summer." Burnnnn. Blunt replied, "OK thanks for 'Kensplaining' that, Mr. 'I need to paint my abs on to get nominated.'"

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We'll get to experience even more of Gosling and Blunt's A-list chemistry in the upcoming film The Fall Guy.

Featured Video For You The (very) brief Oscars history of women nominated for Best Director

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for March 11's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Helicopter parent activity

• Green: Rump

• Blue: Spa storage area

• Purple: Types of cats

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Treat with Excessive Care

• Green: Backside

• Blue: Things in a Spa Locker Room

• Purple: Cat's___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #274 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Treat with Excessive Care: BABY, MOTHER, PAMPER, SPOIL

• Backside: BOOTY, BUM, CAN, REAR

• Things in a Spa Locker Room: ROBE, SLIPPER, TOWEL, WASHCLOTH

• Cat's___: CRADLE, EYE, MEOW, PAJAMS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Robert Downey Jr. has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Academy Awards for his role in Oppenheimer, the first Oscar for Christopher Nolan's latest film.

In Oppenheimer, Downey Jr. played Lewis Strauss, the former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission who masterminded the hearing that revoked J. Robert Oppenheimer's (Cillian Murphy) security clearance. The past few months have been a banner award season for the star, who took home the Golden Globe, SAG Award, Critics Choice Award, and BAFTA for his masterful performance of Oppenheimer's duplicitous former colleague.

How many Oscars does Robert Downey Jr. have?

The 2024 Academy Awards mark Downey Jr.'s first Oscar win, but he has been nominated twice before. In 1993, he was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's Chaplin. In 2009, he picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder — the sole nomination for the film — where he played blackface-wearing method actor Kirk Lazarus.

"I'd like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order," Downey Jr. joked to open his speech. He went on to thank director Nolan and producer Emma Thomas, saying, "Here's my little secret. I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris knew it. Emma made sure she surrounded me with one of the great cast and crews of all time: Emily [Blunt], Cillian [Murphy], Matt Damon. It was fantastic, and I stand here before you a better man because of it."

How to watch: Oppenheimer is now streaming on Peacock.

Poor Things production designers do a deep dive with Mashable's Kristy Puchko into the inspiration behind the surreal film. Stars William Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo describe how the production design helped them develop their own characters in the film.

Production Designers Shona Heath and James Price took home the Academy Award for Production Design for Poor Things.

All eyes were on the Oscars Sunday night, and many used the opportunity to advocate for a ceasefire and draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid ongoing protests.

As the stars hit the red carpet, a large crowd gathered outside the Dolby Theatre to protest in support of Palestine, causing a traffic jam near the venue.

SEE ALSO: Here's why celebs might sport red buttons on the Oscars red carpet

Some stars, like Poor Thing’s Ramy Youssef, sported small red pins with an out-stretched hand and black heart, the symbol for Artists for Ceasefire, a campaign that began with a letter to Joe Biden demanding a ceasefire. Others, including Anatomy of a Fall's Swann Arlaud and Milo Machado Graner, wore the Palestinian flag on their lapels.

As the night progressed, acceptance speeches provided another opportunity to call attention to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the crisis that threatens widespread famine in the region. However, only Jonathan Glazer, the director of Zone Of Interest, used his speech to draw parallels between his harrowing Holocaust film and the ongoing attack on Gaza.

Billie Eilish, Eugene Lee Yang, Mark Ruffalo, and more wore red pins in support of PalestineJonathan Glazer, Zone of Interest Tweet may have been deleted

Upon accepting the Oscar for Best International Feature, Glazer said, "All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present. Not to say look what they did then, but to say look what we do now. Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It shaped all our past and present."

He continued to connect his film's themes to the present: "Right now we stand here as men who refute our Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims Oct. 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza. All the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things Credit: Michael Blackshire / Contributor / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Ruffalo wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin. On the red carpet, the Poor Things actor said, "We're late, the Palestinian protest shut down the Oscars. Humanity wins," and raised a fist.

Ramy Youssef, Poor Things Credit: Marleen Moise / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Youssef wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin. On the red carpet he told Variety, "We're calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We're calling for peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine... Let's stop killing kids."

Swann Arlaud, Anatomy of a Fall Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Arlaud wore a Palestinian flag pin. In a red carpet interview with Vanity Fair, the hot lawyer from Anatomy of a Fall said, "Too many dead people since the 7th of October. It has to stop. It’s about humanity. Ceasefire.”

Billie Eilish, Barbie Credit: JC Olivera / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Eilish wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin.

FINNEAS, Barbie Credit: WWD / Contributor / WWD via Getty Images

FINNEAS wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin.

Ava DuVernay Credit: JC Olivera / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

DuVernay wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin.

Riz Ahmed Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Ahmed wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin.

Mahershala Ali, presenter Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Ali wore an Artists For Ceasefire pin.

Milo Machado-Graner, Anatomy of a Fall Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Machado-Graner wore a pin of the flag of Palestine.

Kaouther Ben Hania, Four Daughters Credit: Mike Coppola / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Ben Hania wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

Nadim Cheikhrouha, Four Daughters Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

Nadim Cheikhrouha wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

Eugene Lee Yang, Nimona  Credit: JC Olivera / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Lee Yang wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

Misan Harriman, The After Credit: Gilbert Flores / Contributor / FilmMagic, Inc via Getty Images

Harriman wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

Quannah Chasinghorse Credit: JC Olivera / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Chasinghorse wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

Daniel Scheinert Credit: Michael Buckner / Contributor / Variety via Getty Images

Scheinert wore an Artists for Ceasefire pin.

The pro-Palestine protest that nearly shut down the Oscars red carpet

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors marched outside Dolby Theater calling for a permanent ceasefire.

Organized by Film Workers for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace LA, Adalah Justice Project, and SAG-AFTRA Members for Ceasefire, the protest began with a march through Hollywood and blocked traffic. In a joint Instagram post the groups wrote, "We will not be distracted by the entertainment industry. We WILL continue to call for a permanent ceasefire and Palestinian liberation."

Tweet may have been deleted Featured Video For You The (very) brief Oscars history of women nominated for Best Director

If any category this award season seemed locked, it was Best Supporting Actress. Da'Vine Joy Randolph has absolutely dominated, winning a cascade of critics' guild honors — including the Critics Choice Award — as well as a Golden Globe and BAFTA. And tonight, she has won her first Academy Award. 

Tonight's win was well-deserved and puts Randolph in a company of only 10 other Black women who have won a competitive Oscar since the Academy of Arts and Sciences' inception, beginning with Hattie McDaniel. She joins the ranks of Jennifer Hudson, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, and Viola Davis. (Notably, after a surprising upset at last year's Oscars, Angela Bassett was awarded an honorary Oscar earlier this year at the Academy's Governors Awards.) 

Randolph is no stranger to accolades. In 2012, she earned a Tony nomination for her moving performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost: The Musical on Broadway. In 2020, her scene-stealing turn in the comedic biopic Dolemite Is My Name had film critics taking notice, scoring her Best Supporting Actress wins and Breakthrough Performance awards from a variety of groups. Then in 2022, she scored nominations for her guest turn as a no-nonsense detective in the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building. But The Holdovers launched her to a new level of stardom. 

Directed by Alexander Payne, The Holdovers centers on an unlikely trio of near-strangers who are stuck together over the Christmas holiday at New England prep school. Paul Giamatti stars as a gruff, insult-slinging professor forced to chaperone a glowering student (Dominic Sessa) whose holiday plans get canceled at the last minute. Randolph plays Mary Lamb, the school's chain-smoking head cook; Mary provides hearty meals for the men while nursing a broken heart for the son she lost in the Vietnam War.

As I wrote in our review of the film, "Far from a tearful Oscar-baiting performance, Randolph (who won much critical acclaim for her supporting role in Dolemite Is My Name) delivers a nuanced performance of muted agony and trembling joy. It's a portrait of grief so real it gives goosebumps."

How to watch: The Holdovers is now streaming on Peacock.