People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint,

it's more like a big goal. We'll be wobbly. Telling you why we...stuffs.

Hi, I'm Rachel Hampton.

And I'm Madison Malone Kircher.

You're listening to ICYMI.

Incation Mr.

Slate's podcast about internet culture.

The Oscars are coming. It's almost here.

Yay!

I'm so excited!

Because you can tell I'm genuinely excited in my household to be celebrating, you know,

the high holidays Christmas Easter, the Academy Awards.

Yeah, mm-hmm. I celebrate at least one of those.

So clearly, I've already fell out my ballot.

But even though you don't actually care about this award show, there is one part of the Academy Awards that

you will not be able to escape even though you want to.

I feel like all the parts of the Oscars I can't escape even though I very much want to.

But what's this part?

I feel like there's always some sort of like extreme cringe designed for social media

that the Oscars force in an attempt to stay relevant.

So like the time the Girl Scouts showed up with cookies or the time Ellen took that selfie.

I'm not going to lie.

...