Before Will Smith landed a blow on Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards, things weren't going too hot. But now, as Chris Rock predicted, it has become one of the most historic nights in live television. Sadly, the moment has overshadowed the winners of the night and has every fan tossing their opinions on the matter into the ring.
But this isn't the only outlandish moment to occur at an awards show. There is a deep history of hysterical and cringe-worthy mishaps caught while the cameras are rolling. Let's take a break from reading the same hot takes and look back on some of the most intense moments in award show history.
The Streaker That Stopped the 1974 Oscars
Prior to the events of the 94th Academy Awards, this was probably the wildest awards show moment. It all started when David Niven, a former James Bond and the original Inspector Clouseau, was about to introduce Best Picture presenter, Elizabeth Taylor. As he spoke about the importance of entertainment in a world on fire, a man named Robert Opal jogged out from offstage fully nude. The crowd and Niven could not hold it together as the San Francisco artist threw up a peace sign and ran off stage. Niven followed the incident with an iconic line: "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen... But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off his shorts and showing his shortcomings?"
Kanye Interrupts Taylor at the VMAs
This 2009 event at the VMAs is one of the most influential pop culture moments of the 21st Century. While accepting the award for Best Video by a Female Artist, Taylor Swift was interrupted when rapper Kanye West stormed the stage and took her mic. He went on to say: "Imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!" He was referencing Beyonce's iconic "All The Single Ladies" music video. This moment was one of the first true Twitter explosions where every user had something to say about the situation. Many believe that this was the moment when Kanye became an antagonist in the music industry. But everyone knows it didn't stop Taylor Swift, who may be at the peak of her career with her re-release of "All Too Well."
Steve Harvey Announces the Wrong Miss Universe
While not a typical award show, this screw-up is too awkward to not be considered among the rest here. Back in 2015, Steve Harvey of Family Feud fame was hosting the Miss Universe pageant on live television. When it came time to crown that year's winner, Harvey announced that Miss Colombia was the winner. Alas, that was not the case. Miss Colombia came up, accepted her crown and began to wave to the crowd. Moments later Harvey realized his mistake, halted the celebration and corrected the situation by saying the true winner was Miss Philippines.
Rob Lowe Duets "Proud Mary" With Snow White
For anyone who says that Rob Lowe can do no wrong, take five minutes and watch this clip on YouTube. You will quickly realize the actor, who nearly played Dr. Shepard on Grey's Anatomy, is certainly capable of missing the mark. This cringe-inducing moment was a part of the 61st Oscars' opening sketch that featured a high-pitched Snow White singing Oscar-themed songs to terrified movie stars. From the second the sketch begins, it's a bomb. But things only took a turn for the worse when Rob Lowe stepped on stage and began to sing a rendition of "Proud Mary." However, instead of singing "Rolling down the river," the two harmonized, or attempted to, the lyrics "Keep the cameras rolling." It is safe to say, that year's producer of the show likely had some regrets.
The Moonlight/La La Land Debacle
Poor Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. This moment in comparison to the slap heard around the world is small potatoes. But at the time, there had been nothing like this ever to happen on stage at the Dolby Theater. In an attempt to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bonnie and Clyde, the Academy asked the famous co-stars to read off the results for Best Picture. There was only one problem: when walking on stage to read the results, they were handed the incorrect envelope.
When fans look back on the footage of the night, it is clear that Beatty is very confused by the results on the card. But after the external pressure of millions of viewers and Faye Dunaway's friendly jabs, the Heaven Can Wait star read off the wrong winner. In turn, the La La Land team took the stage. Ben Platt's father, producer Marc Platt, even gave a small speech until fellow producer Justin Horowitz was alerted to the mistake. Horowitz then revealed the true winner to be Moonlight and the rest is truly history.