--- title: Oscars 2018: Matthew McConaughey Presentation Goes Viral description: The Internet quickly pointed out that Matthew McConaughey should reconsider using the word "literally" after he presented at the Oscars. canonical: https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-03-05T15:42:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:19.077Z og:title: Oscars 2018: Matthew McConaughey Presentation Goes Viral og:description: The Internet quickly pointed out that Matthew McConaughey should reconsider using the word "literally" after he presented at the Oscars. og:url: https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb44913cf3a66c5c/6989299c7cdbac45b8d5c2bb/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-presenting-2018-internet-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: 90th Annual Academy Awards - Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Oscars 2018: Matthew McConaughey Presentation Goes Viral twitter:description: The Internet quickly pointed out that Matthew McConaughey should reconsider using the word "literally" after he presented at the Oscars. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb44913cf3a66c5c/6989299c7cdbac45b8d5c2bb/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-presenting-2018-internet-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Internet Thinks Matthew McConaughey Needs a Dictionary Because of This One Thing He Said at the 2018 Oscars > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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Awards season has been in full swing for nearly two months, all leading up to Sunday's 90th Academy Awards_  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 5, 2018 3:42 PM UTC  HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 04: Actor Matthew McConaughey speaks onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 04: Actor Matthew McConaughey speaks onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter—Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 5, 2018 3:42 PM UTC While most of the viewers of the [90th annual Academy Awards](http://time.com/5182674/oscars-2018-winners/) were content to ship the bromance reunion of _Interstellar_ co-stars [Timothée Chalamet](http://time.com/5184845/james-ivory-timothee-chalamet-shirt-oscars-2018/) and [Matthew McConaughey](http://time.com/4448621/rio-2016-olympics-matthew-mcconaughey/) on the [2018 Oscars red carpet](http://time.com/5181916/oscars-red-carpet-photos-2018/), there was a corner of the Internet that was much more intensely focused on McConaughey’s job as a presenter on Sunday night – namely, his incorrect use of the word “literally.” McConaughey presented the award for best film editing, which eventually went to Lee Smith for _Dunkirk_, but not before McConaughey declared that the editing was “literally a magic trick,” before launching into a description of film editing to the Academy and audience. As might be expected, his vocabulary choice and explanation did not go over well with the Internet, who took to social media to sound off on it. Some were obsessed with his use of the word “literally.” > [](https://twitter.com/kvanaren/status/970493124375085057) > [](https://twitter.com/heathermg/status/970493678283362305) > [](https://twitter.com/emilyfclouse/status/970493895325945858) > [](https://twitter.com/jd%5Fsquaz/status/970494643828871169) > [](https://twitter.com/beccarghh/status/970493725838225408) > [](https://twitter.com/heathermg/status/970493678283362305) > [](https://twitter.com/kvanaren/status/970493124375085057) While others were more puzzled by the way he tried to explain the finer points of film making and editing to a room full of people celebrating the movies. > [](https://twitter.com/Star104Erie/status/970493418601353218) > [](https://twitter.com/tangleofthorns/status/970493219967586305) > [](https://twitter.com/chebroadnax/status/970495157903745025) > [](https://twitter.com/tangleofthorns/status/970493219967586305) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/"},"headline":"The Internet Thinks Matthew McConaughey Needs a Dictionary Because of This One Thing He Said at the 2018 Oscars","datePublished":"2018-03-05T15:42:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:47:19.077Z","description":"Alright, alright, alright","url":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/","keywords":["Newsfeed","awards"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb44913cf3a66c5c/6989299c7cdbac45b8d5c2bb/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-presenting-2018-internet-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb44913cf3a66c5c/6989299c7cdbac45b8d5c2bb/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-presenting-2018-internet-reactions.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"90th Annual Academy Awards - Show","caption":"90th Annual Academy Awards - Show","creditText":"Kevin Winter—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/","name":"The Internet Thinks Matthew McConaughey Needs a Dictionary Because of This One Thing He Said at the 2018 Oscars"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Was The Best Fashion On The Oscars Red Carpet","description":"Awards season has been in full swing for nearly two months, all leading up to Sunday's 90th Academy Awards","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/O6mEsUdn/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-03-05T01:43:39.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/O6mEsUdn.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/","duration":"PT2M10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5185761/matthew-mcconaughey-oscars-2018-internet-reactions/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```