“Julia Fox for President,” said Jake Shane (Hacks) and Quenlin Blackwell (I Love La) in unison while interviewing Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) after an awkward question was asked at the 2026 Oscar Vanity Fair Party.
“You think the kid was annoying?” said Jake Shane, referring to the movie Rose Byrne lost Best Actress for earlier that night, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The movie, which explores the severity and challenges of motherhood, and Linda, a single mother (Rose Byrne), deal with her daughter’s condition, ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
He then furthered the dismissive question toward Fox.
Fox, a single mother, is adamant about the challenges of motherhood and makes a statement on how society sets mothers up for failure. She tries to frame it to give viewers clarity, and mid-sentence, we get “Julia Fox for President.”
She then states she feels that this has dragged on and says bye.
The problem wasn’t the question; it was how it was delivered. Instead of listening to a woman proclaim her experience with motherhood, trying to give some insight into her experience, we get a cringy statement from an influencer.
The question was repeated later on in the evening to Damson Idris (F1). To which he also shut down the question and stated it was his favorite movie nominated that night.
With Shane’s repetitive denigration, it soured the mouths of critics that night. Truly, imagine a single mother who’s at first hand dealt with what the mother in the movie you are openly criticizing provides thoughtful input into a teaching moment, you then repeat it.
Shane’s viral interview highlights the growing gap between access and understanding in the media. Anyone can be a critic, but without nuance, your criticism has no value.
What’s ironic to me, at least, is that the day before, Brian Hiatt (Senior Writer for Rolling Stone) hosted him at the Rolling Stone Studio for a featured article detailing his career and new projects. He was even asked a question about how he felt being compared to a journalist. He then went to go into detail, stating how insulting that is to real journalists who have earned their degree in their specific field.
Yet, his interview only proved the point for the lack of good reporting; does it have to be journalists per se doing the interviewing, well, no. But it should be those who are knowledgeable enough to grasp what someone is saying and provide a conversation that can further their name out there for people watching.
This hasn’t been the only time he’s done something related to the topic of journalism. When Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter, which won album of the year at the 2025 Grammy Awards, was then asked by Billboard to give his insight into the album as opposed to an actual entertainment journalist.
In a time where journalism is labeled as one of “the most regrettable degrees”, influencers blur the line between a “content creator” and a trained reporter. Otherwise, you’re left with 21% of adults in the U.S. relying on influencers for news being performed to you instead of being informed. And then once that happens, you’re misinformed.
