What’s in the 2024 Oscars gift bag that’s worth more than most people’s annual salary?
The 96th Academy Awards are just around the corner with the ceremony due to take place this weekend, Sunday 10 March 2024, and I don’t know about you but I simply can’t sleep a wink knowing that some of the richest individuals on the planet are going to get their paws on an ultra-luxurious awards goodie bag when, in reality, I deserve it so much more than them!
The annual Oscars gift bags are legendary, and while I personally think that I’d make much better use of the treats than Timothée Chalamet would, I also accept the fact that I’m not a Hollywood critically acclaimed actor. Not yet, at least.
In a recent Explained By a Blonde column, we covered a feminist topic close to my heart: the financial prowess of Taylor Swift, aka Swiftonomics. And this week, we’re naturally tackling a topic as serious and as important to the state of global affairs: what’s going to be in the $125,000 to $200,000 Oscars gift bag.
This year’s awards ceremony is going to be attended by some of the most famous actors in the world. We’re going to get to witness the likes of Miss Florence Pugh, Miss Lily Gladstone, and Miss Emma Stone boots the house down. Naturally, I’m only interested in the women attending. And, like the dedicated fan I am, I want to know what these ladies are going to be taking home in their purses.
It should be noted that the goodie bags aren’t sponsored by the Academy itself, rather they’re curated and organised by Distinctive Assets, an entertainment marketing company. In 2023, some of the luxury items included in the gift bag included a three-night stay in an exclusive resort in Ottowa, Canada worth $40,000.
@screenshothq For starters 27 people in total are gonna get a gift bag this year. They'll walk home with gifts bags that includes everything from cosmetic surgery to a plot of land in australia. #oscars2023 #swagbag #oscarsredcarpet #academyawards #celebrityskincare #brendanfraser #howmuch #hollywoodlife
♬ Lo-fi hip hop - NAO-K
Plastic surgery was also a big ticket item last year, with attendees being able to access up to $41,000 worth of treatments from experts such as Dr Thomas Su’s Art Lipo arm sculpting, Dr Alan Bauman’s hair restoration and a facelift by Dr Konstantin Vasyukevich.
The Oscars gift bags always embrace an ‘everyone wins’ mentality. So, if you’re giving Leonardo DiCaprio energy and you don’t manage to take home an Oscar on Sunday, at least you’ll have a six-figure consolation prize.
What’s in the 2024 Oscars gift bag?
The 2024 Oscars gift bag will include three exclusive vacations to some of the most expensive resorts in the world. Some of the luxury products featured in the goodie bag will also include artisan chocolates, liver pills, sugar-free cherry gummies, top-tier tequila, and microneedling.
First up in the trio of vacation opportunities is a three-night stay in St Barts in the Caribbean. Attendees will gain access to some of the island’s most beautiful private villas. Each rental available can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $140,000 per week during peak season and come with amenities such as incredible views, extreme privacy, state-of-the-art kitchens, jacuzzis, a groundskeeper, and daily housekeeping. A number of the villas also come with a private infinity pool and cinema room.
While this might sound like a dream come true, some stars prefer to relax in the snow—you know, we all have our luxury preferences! So, to accommodate these A-listers, the gift bag also includes vouchers for an all-inclusive stay at Switzerland’s exclusive Chalet Zermatt Peak, where a week can cost more than $100,000.
Last but not least, actors can also indulge in a seven-day holistic retreat at Golden Door, a luxury wellness resort owned by Joanne Conway—the wife of Carlyle Group co-founder, billionaire and philanthropist Bill Conway.
Some of the other insane goodies featured in this year’s exclusive bags include a wide range of top-of-the-line cosmetics and beauty products—many from up-and-coming sustainable and diverse brands. Designer pillows, artisan kitchenware, and luxury cooking appliances are also featured.
Also, for all my animal lovers out there, any recipient who posts a picture on their socials wearing a PETA “Every Animal is Someone” beanie, the organisation will donate 10,000 vegan meals to rescue dogs.
What’s the controversy surrounding the Oscars gift bags?
The Oscars goodie bags don’t come without controversy. In 2023, the gift bags faced a lot of backlash after it was revealed that one of the perks was a plot of land in Australia. According to The Guardian, the small parcel of land in outback Australia was included as part of company Pieces of Australia’s “Conservation Gift Packs.” The land parcels all come with a “certificate of land licence,” but the terms and conditions go on to state that “you have purchased a symbolic souvenir… of the land.”
Symbolic or not, the move drew a lot of negative attention. Moreover, the digital “member’s handbook” which comes with Pieces of Australia’s “Conservation Gift Packs” referenced the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN) without the organisation’s permission. Not exactly a cool move.
A strong argument could be made that the goodie bags aren’t only unnecessary, they’re a grotesque display of socially irresponsible spending. Currently, economies across the globe are crumbling. But, you know, as long as Chalamet gets his special hand cream, all is well, I suppose.
