On Sunday, March 27, the Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, CA. Each year, trophies given out for Best Actor, Actress, Director, and many more, but there is also always a segment remembering those we lost in the past year.
Tyler Perry introduced the In Memoriam segment by speaking about the significance of the late Sidney Poitier, who passed away in January. Poitier was the first black actor to take home the Best Actor trophy.
“I would not be here today without Sidney,” Perry said.
A choir then came on stage to sing “Spirit in the Sky” while names and photos of those who had passed on. Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt, and Dean Stockwell were mentioned, among others.
In the middle of the song, Bill Murray walked on stage and paid tribute to Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman. Later, Jamie Lee Curtis walked on stage holding a puppy to say some things about Betty White. Curtis encouraged the audience, and those watching from home, to “open your hearts and your homes” to rescue dogs in honor of Betty White. One celebrity who was inspired to adopt a rescue dog from the Oscars was John Travolta.
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The segment can only be so long, so every year there are always fans upset about who the Oscars failed to include. This year, the uproar is over Bob Saget, who passed away unexpectedly in early January.
“Rioting because Bob Saget wasn’t in the In Memoriam portion of the #Oscars,” one fan said.
“No but seriously, why wasn’t Bob Saget in the memoriam?” said another.
Many folks will point out that the majority of Saget’s work is in television, but others have pointed out that Saget won a Student Academy Award in 1977 for his black-and-white documentary titled Through Adam’s Eyes.
Norm Macdonald, Ed Aster, Meat Loaf, Willie Garson, and Robert Downey Sr. were all also left out of the segment, which left fans upset.
Sadly, the reality is they just can’t include every single person in entertainment who passed away.
Watch the In Memoriam” segment below.