The cast of The Color Purple was thoroughly unimpressed when the Critics Choice Awards distributed pizza in a bag as a food option like they were at a sports event. The internet was appalled as well.
The 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards occurred on Jan. 14, 2024, at the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport.
Stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Oprah Winfrey sat at the same table as event workers passed out the bagged pizza like food vendors at baseball games. The camera panned, showing Winfrey’s jaw to the floor, perplexed.
Unlike Brooks, who accepted the pizza with a smile, Henson took hers with a grimace expression, and Barrino didn’t even bother grabbing one. The “Truth Is” singer looked at Henson and Brook’s bags disgustedly before realizing she was being filmed only to deadpan the camera.
“Where are the lamb chops?” She asked before snickering at her question.
Brooks happily chewed and held up her flatbread. On the contrary, Winfrey gestured at her mauve lips and declared she wasn’t about to mess them up over some bagged pizza.
Many commenters shared the Color Purple Cast’s sentiments.
“Pizza? Seriously? As an event planner, I’m mortified.
“‘Where are the lamb chops?’ has me dead! I’m Fantasia.”
“Oprah said, ‘I ain’t messin’ up my lips,’…what she meant was, ‘I ain’t messing up my Ozempic for this cheap, dry pizza – my chef is already preparing me something as we speak.’”
“This is why your mother had you eat a little something before you went to an event!”
“Not dressed up, with a beautiful table setting, just to find out Little Caesar’s is on the menu.”
“The first thing that came to mind was NeNe saying, ‘The ghetto, the ghetto, honey!’ But seriously, you can’t have people dress up for half a pizza in a bag.”
“Listen, IMO (In my opinion), serving pizza in a bag at a formal affair is giving ‘What’s the bare minimum we can give you people to make you STFU about being fed?’” I mean, folks could have had a HOT, WHOLE pizza at home in their sweats or pajamas.”
The 2023 musical adaptation of The Color Purple premiered in theaters on Dec. 25. and was nominated for Best Acting Ensemble, Best Picture, Best Costume Design and Best Hair and Makeup.
Brooks may have been a bit chipper with the pizza because she was nominated for best supporting actress. Unfortunately, the film didn’t win a Critics Choice Award that night.
