Ellen's Oscar Selfie Was Really An Advert in Disguise

"Wow, they're just like normal people! Self-centered and wrinkly up close!"

twitter.com/TheEllenShow

 

The Internet is full of nasty people shouting about which overpriced console is better and advertisers trying to sell you shit, but every once in a while, something amazing happens: out of nowhere comes an image, a video, or a song so genuine and interesting that we all stop the mindless screaming for a second to share this wonderful creation with one another. You just can't buy that type of magic.

Wait, yes, you totally can -- and in fact, this viral sensation was just a paid ad, trying to sell you shit.

Ellen DeGeneres' famous Oscar selfie is the reason why you'll always be able to say "Ah, yes, this was taken in 2014" while browsing family photos -- it was the moment that introduced your older relatives to the concept of taking a dumb picture of yourself with a phone. The photo, depicting a dozen or so famous people spontaneously pressed together and smiling like teenagers at the mall, was taken during the Academy Awards broadcast and shared by over 3 million people, breaking all of Twitter's records (and also their servers).

However, check out the picture of the picture being taken:

ABC
Sadly, Jared Leto wasn't cropped out of this one.

Notice the Samsung phone in front of the celebrities? That's the only reason this happened. Samsung spent nearly $20 million on Oscar promotion, and part of the deal was flashing a Galaxy phone as often as possible, so the producers came up with the selfie idea. And the best part? They took the photo with a Samsung, but Ellen spent Oscar night also tweeting from an iPhone. $20 million at work!