Outrage as Sheryl Lee Ralph claims 'fastest way to an Oscar is on a pole' after Mikey Madison's win

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Veteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph has ignited a fiery outrage after suggesting that winning an Oscar often requires playing a role that revolves around "selling sex."

Her comments came in the wake of Mikey Madison’s surprise Best Actress win for 'Anora' at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2.

Sheryl Lee Ralph weighs in on Mikey Madison's Oscar win 

The 25-year-old actress stunned many by taking home the prestigious trophy, beating out Hollywood icon Demi Moore, who had been the heavy favorite for her performance in 'The Substance'.

Moore, 62, had dominated the awards season, winning nearly every major accolade, except for a BAFTA, leading up to the Oscars.

But while many saw Madison’s victory as a shocking upset, Ralph was far less surprised when speaking to On The Red Carpet's Joelle Garguilo.

"I have told people over and over and over again. The fastest way to an Oscar is either on a pole or have, I'm telling you, sex sells baby. Sex sells," the 'Abbott Elementary' star, 68, remarked before heading into the Vanity Fair afterparty, as per Daily Mail. 

Twitter explodes after Sheryl Lee Ralph's 'blatantly false' remarks

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s statement quickly spread across social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where film fans fiercely debated whether her claim held any truth.

Fans dismissed the notion that playing a sex worker has historically been a fast track to Oscar gold, entirely.

One user countered Ralph’s take, stating: "Mikey Madison is the first Best Actress winner to be playing a sex worker since 2003. The vast majority of recent winners are older women who are not sexualized in their films. In the modern day, there is absolutely no bias towards young sexy roles at all."

One viewer pointed out, "I mean you’ve got to be kidding right?"

A follower observed, "This is insensitive especially after Mickey’s win for playing a stripper/ pole dancer in Anora. Her acting was superb IMO, she deserved that Oscar win."

One comment stated, "This is so f*****g depressing."

Another comment read, "Blatantly false."

A user wrote, "Jealousy is a disease."

Mikey Madison’s Oscars win fuels Hollywood’s history of ‘sex sells’ trends

Irrespective of the online chatter, history does lend some weight to Sheryl Lee Ralph’s argument.

Madison’s win marks the 14th time an actor has won an Oscar for portraying a sex worker, dating back to Janet Gaynor’s performance in 'Street Angel' (1928). Other notable winners in similar roles include Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Kim Basinger, and Mira Sorvino.

While playing a sex worker has undeniably led to multiple Oscar wins, recent trends suggest that the Academy has shifted toward honoring more diverse performances, often favoring older actresses in non-sexualized, character-driven roles.

In the last two decades, winners have included stars like Frances McDormand ('Nomadland'), Cate Blanchett ('Blue Jasmine'), and Julianne Moore ('Still Alice'), none of whom played roles that revolved around sexuality.

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