The Oscars paid tribute to those lost over the past year, but not everyone was happy with the manner in which they did so.
In an unusual move, this year’s In Memoriam segment of the show was set to the relatively fast-paced Stevie Wonder song “As”, which immediately came in for criticism.
On Twitter, viewers expressed frustration with the speed with which the segment was edited, barely lingering on any name for more than a second.
Always a good sign when the in memoriam has to go at the speed of a cd compilation ad
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) April 26, 2021
in memoriam edited like a fancam
— guy (@guymrdth) April 26, 2021
This year’s Oscars In Memoriam played accidentally at podcast 1.5x speed
— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) April 26, 2021
Others criticized the segment for some of the film industry members who were left out, including actress Naya Rivera, who was best known for TV’s “Glee”, but also appeared in films like “At the Devil’s Door”.
#Oscars didn't, so I'm doing it.
IN MEMORIAM OF NAYA RIVERA. pic.twitter.com/qWDoezisFX
— celeste ミ☆ (@heyaspetsch) April 26, 2021
They are foul for not putting Naya Rivera in the in memoriam #Oscars
— Allie (@Golden_Josette) April 26, 2021
Jessica Walter, who passed away late last month, best known to modern audiences for her TV roles in “Arrested Development”, but left a mark on cinema with performances in “Grand Prix”, “Play Misty For Me” and more.
The In Memorium section of the #Oscars is always rough, but how on earth did they not include Jessica Walter pic.twitter.com/kX1fB9N7l7
— Nate Discavage (@DiscavageSavage) April 26, 2021
Not including Jessica Walter in the In Memoriam is truly a disgrace…. pic.twitter.com/iAjok90TOx
— Meredith Lee (@meralee727) April 26, 2021
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Not including Jessica Walter in the In Memoriam is truly a disgrace…. pic.twitter.com/iAjok90TOx
— Meredith Lee (@meralee727) April 26, 2021
Others noted the absence of musician Adam Schlesinger, who was nominated for an Oscar in 1997 for writing the song “That Thing You Do!”.
Me realizing the In Memoriam segment excluded both Jessica Walter and Adam Schlesinger pic.twitter.com/xA2zwqN969
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) April 26, 2021