Respect must be paid

February 9, 2013 1:39 PM

Since March 21, 1994, when the first regular obituary segment was dropped into an Academy Awards show, a spot on the yearly scroll of recently deceased movie luminaries has become one of the evening’s most hotly contested honors. And as in most Oscar races it is the focus of sometimes ferocious campaigning.
posted by Chrysostom (16 comments total)

Wow, how the hell do they convince anybody to join such a committee? Its such a ridiculous exaggeration of the viciously small politics, the mad mass delusion that is glamour, and lifetimes of externally justified creative effort that the academy represents.
posted by Blasdelb at 2:02 PM on February 9, 2013

That or any University dept. meeting or HOA.
posted by The Whelk at 2:04 PM on February 9, 2013 [7 favorites]

Or, really, just about any planning committee for an industry association banquet awards ceremony, which is what this is, minus the banquet. The fact that the honorees are better known and that people outside the industry are watching doesn't always enter into it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:31 PM on February 9, 2013

The article I read predicted Jack Klugman would not make the cut.
posted by bukvich at 2:41 PM on February 9, 2013

The Oscars "In Memoriam" segment has a weird history of snubbing people whom they've chewed up and spit out. Troubled former child star who died of suicide or a drug overdose before age forty? Let's just sweep you under the rug, shall we?
posted by Sys Rq at 2:51 PM on February 9, 2013

There are several I'd lobby for with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, they're still acting.
posted by hal9k at 3:04 PM on February 9, 2013 [6 favorites]

COREY HAIM!

Go watch Lucas
posted by vitabellosi at 5:13 PM on February 9, 2013

I just wish they'd tell the audience to hold their fucking applause during the segment -- not just to the end of the reel, but period. We don't need a popularity-ometer of who was the Best Dead Actor. Ugh. Truly a time for a moment of silence.
posted by tzikeh at 5:45 PM on February 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

I think their decision to include Bin Laden was appalling.
posted by found missing at 5:50 PM on February 9, 2013 [3 favorites]

This segment should be dropped altogether. Maybe put up a montage on the Academy's website that includes anyone and everyone remotely in the running. Rather than recognizing someone who is dead and won't know anyway, this segment seems to highlight the ones who are snubbed which is really to say pissing off some family grieving a lost loved one. By having a non all inclusive list, the Academy is just telling the loved ones that no matter what you think about your dear departed, their contribution to Hollywood sucked. That is not right.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 5:52 PM on February 9, 2013

I just wish they'd tell the audience to hold their fucking applause during the segment -- not just to the end of the reel, but period. We don't need a popularity-ometer of who was the Best Dead Actor. Ugh. Truly a time for a moment of silence.

That, or, you know, turn the microphones off, at least.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:04 PM on February 9, 2013

Sadly, it tends to be the part of the show where I exclaim to no one in particular, "But I thought he died years ago!"
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 8:58 PM on February 9, 2013

After my great aunt died I called AMPAS twice. The first person I talked to seemed very receptive, but the second one very snottily let me know that memorials were only considered for those who had had their obituaries printed in Variety. My cousin had put a paid obit in the NY Times, but it hadn't occurred to her that she should have contacted Variety.
posted by brujita at 10:38 PM on February 9, 2013

I'm opposed to the death roll featuring any sort of 'insider' or behind the scenes type. It should only be actors, directors, and producers, PERIOD. If I have to google-bing your corpse's name on the yahoo machine, you have no business being on the telecast.
posted by Renoroc at 11:26 AM on February 10, 2013

Yeah! If you're not famous you are completely worthless.
posted by Authorized User at 12:21 PM on February 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

The article I read predicted Jack Klugman would not make the cut.

!!!!
No way Juror No. 5 isn't making it in.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:36 PM on February 10, 2013