John Cena's naked appearance at the Oscars has caused quite a stir.
As reports emerge about the bizarre rules he had to follow, it becomes clear that his nude act on stage was not without its challenges.
The WWE star and actor made quite the splash when he arrived at the prestigious award ceremony wearing nothing but a strategically placed envelope to cover his 'private area.'
However, it turns out that Cena had to overcome numerous obstacles to make this unique act a reality.
Avoiding FCC fines and complaints was a key concern for John Cena's naked performance at the Oscars.
According to an Oscars producer, the network was initially resistant to the idea, prompting host Jimmy Kimmel to intervene and persuade them otherwise.
The main concern was not only avoiding fines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) but also preventing potential complaints.
Rob Mills, the executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, revealed the stringent guidelines that were imposed on Cena to perform his naked appearance.
To comply with FCC regulations, Cena's performance needed not to display any explicit content.
John Cena had to follow before appearing without any clothes on the Oscars stage
According to Mills' explanation, it was crucial to ensure that no 'bulge' or 'crack' was visible during Cena's appearance.
Additionally, there were concerns about what would happen if he accidentally dropped the card he was holding. Therefore, meticulous measures were taken to present Cena with a smooth and featureless front, resembling that of a Ken doll.
Although the FCC rarely issues fines for nudity, there have been precedents where substantial penalties were imposed on networks that aired indecent material during daytime hours (between 6.00 am and 10.00 pm).
In a similar incident, ABC was subjected to substantial fines in 2003 after airing an episode of NYPD Blue that revealed a woman's bare bottom.
Since then, the FCC has established a maximum fine of $2,372,677 for a single act or failure to comply.
Cena and the Oscars production team were resolute in their efforts to steer clear of such a significant financial penalty.
