On last night’s Oscars, Jared Leto presented the Oscar for Best Makeup but before revealing the winner he quizzed the audience on the meaning of “merkin.”

“Without the genius contributions of makeup artists and hair stylists, we wouldn’t lose ourselves in classic films like The Godfather, TheElephant Man, Raging Bull, Magic Mike 2,” said the actor. “Think about it. But let’s be honest, they deserve an award just for putting up with us actors, not to mention the prosthetics: the wigs, the occasional merkin. If you happen to be laughing, please explain it to the person next to you, and if you aren’t, Google it.”

By definition, a merkin is is a pubic wig actors occasionally wear in nude scenes. According to the Hollywood Reporter, it’s also considered fashionable in some circles, and worn at places like Burning Man.

The actor and occasional singer decided to tweet a photo in case anyone was curious. He tweeted, “Yes I said MERKIN.”

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Crystal Smith

Article by Crystal Smith

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