Unless someone is a true cinema aficionado, memories fade about last year’s Oscar winners, the best director, or the top acting honors. What lingers vividly for many is the moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after a joke about Smith’s wife. That clip etched itself in viewers’ minds and reshaped the ceremony in lasting ways, from a ten-year ban on Smith from Hollywood events to tighter security at subsequent galas. It wasn’t the first scandal, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Since NBC began broadcasting the Oscars live in 1953, interest and audiences have grown year after year, turning the event into a global cultural milestone. The gala’s moments resonated far beyond the auditorium, sometimes delivering messages that organizers did not welcome, and history is full of controversial episodes tied to the ceremony.
Now, as debates about updating language in classic works to be more inclusive circulate, it is noted that one of the earliest examples cited was Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The film’s adaptation earned eight of the thirteen nominations it received in 1940. Hattie McDaniel became the first Black actress to win an Oscar, yet during the ceremony she faced seating that placed her away from the main group, a starkly racist moment in early Hollywood history.
If McDaniel was the first Black actress to win, Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to receive an Oscar for Lilies of the Field in 1963. The public reaction to a moment during the celebration, when Poitier accepted the award with a kiss offered by Anne Bancroft, sparked controversy among more conservative audiences and critics alike.
Another infamous moment involved Angelina Jolie on the red carpet at the 2000 ceremony while accepting the award for Girl, Interrupted. The kiss she shared on stage drew mixed responses from the audience and media, illustrating how live moments can redefine perceptions of the event.
The history of Black-led nominations shows a slow pace for recognition. John Singleton’s 1992 film Los Angeles by Night marked a rare breakthrough for Black-directed films, with Precious by Lee Daniels finally earning nominations in 2009 and winning in 2010. Steve McQueen then earned the best supporting recognition with 12 Years a Slave in 2013, followed by Barry Jenkins for Moonlight in 2016. Spike Lee later earned acclaim for Best Adapted Screenplay with The Spy in the Klan in 2018, highlighting the gradual evolution of the Academy’s inclusivity.
One of the most vivid chapters occurred in 1973 when Marlon Brando refused his Oscar for The Godfather and sent Sacheen Littlefeather in Native American attire to protest Hollywood’s treatment of Indigenous people. The moment prompted changes in the ceremony rules, including how acceptance speeches could be structured and delivered.
In 1974, actor David Niven carried a lighthearted misstep into the broadcast when Elizabeth Taylor appeared unexpectedly on stage in a candid moment. The incident, tied to broader conversations about LGBTQ visibility, became a notable example of unscripted moments that nonetheless shaped the public memory of the night.
In 1992, Jodie Foster accepted her Oscar for Silence of the Lambs amid protests from groups who felt the film and its content perpetuated harmful stereotypes. Foster later publicly discussed her own identity in the wake of the controversy, underscoring how the gala intersects with broader social conversations.
There have been other moments of public debate at the Oscar ceremony. In 1990, the dedication to Do the Right Thing drew mixed reactions, with some calling the organizing choices bold and others labeling them provocative. The public response to fashion, performance, and speech has often become a larger conversation about the event itself.
Producers and hosts historically resist departures from the official script. In 1974, a controversial documentary on a major political issue caused a political reflex within the room, leading to statements designed to calm the audience. The show’s need to balance artistry, politics, and entertainment has remained a constant challenge for organizers. In 1993, when a group of presenters used the moment to advocate for broader humanitarian concerns, the organizers weighed the impact on the night’s flow and public perception, sometimes deciding not to invite certain guests again. The same year, another winner’s remarks drew further attention to human rights, leading to a broader discussion about the responsibilities attached to the microphone.
That era also produced a mix of misreads and accidental moments. In 1993, a presenter mispronounced a name, producing a fleeting awkwardness that became a humorous footnote in the ceremony’s long arc. The 2016 disclosure error involving Best Picture, where La La Land was briefly announced as the winner before Moonlight was correctly recognized, remains a reminder of the high stakes wrapped in the envelope ritual. These moments show how quickly the ceremony can pivot from triumph to controversy, or from clarity to confusion.
Ultimately, the Oscar Gala has never been a perfectly polished event. It is a live performance where culture, politics, and celebrity collide, producing moments that echo across decades. The history of the event is filled with cases that reflect shifts in social norms, media dynamics, and audiences’ evolving expectations. Through celebrations, protests, and surprising revelations, the ceremony continues to be a mirror of changing times.
Seven things you need to know about the Oscar Gala
There have been protests and disagreements regarding the Academy’s decisions. The 1990s saw critics arguing that certain nominations did not reflect broader artistic merit, prompting responses from actors that shaped discussions about inclusion and the representation of diverse voices. The next day, media coverage sometimes fixated on fashion rather than the performances, turning the dress into part of the ongoing narrative of the night.
The organizers of Oscar distribution galas don’t like anything the hosts pull out of the established scripts.
In a famous 1974 moment, a critical documentary on the Vietnam War sparked a post-award discussion that led to clarifying statements about the producers’ stance on winners’ comments. The crowd’s reactions and the ensuing press coverage underscored the delicate balance between ceremony and message. Legendary figures like Frank Sinatra and Warren Beatty also contributed to the night’s enduring anecdotes, sometimes shaping memory through expressive facial reactions.
That tension between script and spontaneity persists. In 1993, presenters who spoke on humanitarian issues provoked strong responses, and one winner’s remarks triggered renewed scrutiny of China and Tibetan rights. The night carried a warning: the ceremony cannot entirely control what audiences take away, especially when global audiences are watching.
In another turn, the order of speeches and the recognition of actors or directors can become a running joke or a serious debate. A misreading of names and titles occasionally steals the spotlight from performances, reminding everyone that live awards carry the risk of human error. The show’s past also records moments when unexpected appearances or wardrobe choices become part of Hollywood lore, shaping how the ceremony is discussed for years.
The Oscar gala’s history, though deeply entertaining, also reveals a social experiment in real time. It reflects how communities respond to achievement, controversy, and respect. The event remains the stage where art meets culture, and where the rhythms of fashion, politics, and fame create a living chronicle of the entertainment world.
Ultimately, the Oscars endure not through flawless execution but through the ongoing conversation they spark about who is celebrated and why. The annual ceremony invites audiences to witness a curated snapshot of cinema while acknowledging that the moments around the award can be as memorable as the awards themselves.