The ‘In Memoriam’ controversy that no one saw coming
The ’98 Oscars gave us everything: surprises, emotional speeches and that annual moment that makes us all a little sensitive. The tribute to those who are no longer here.
This year, names like Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford received a moving tribute. Their legacy on the screen was remembered and, above all, the human impact they left.
But as soon as the assembly was finished, social networks exploded. And not exactly from emotion.
“It’s disappointing they didn’t include them,” one user wrote. Another added: “What a disappointment. Leaving them out was a mistake. Their legacy is much bigger than a montage.”.
The complaint was clear and massive: where were Eric Dane and James Van der Beek?
An omission that is difficult to swallow
The curious thing is that the segment was not exclusive for actors. It included musicians, sound engineers, designers and even the Italian couturier Giorgio Armani.
That breadth made the absence of two figures so loved by the public feel even stronger. For many, directly a lack of respect.
Theories circulate: some say it was because they developed their careers mainly on television. Others point out that their deaths are very recent.
Dane, our beloved ‘McSteamy’ from Grey’s Anatomy and then Cal Jacobs in Euphoria, died on February 19 from ALS. Van der Beek, the eternal Dawson Leery, lost his battle with colorectal cancer on February 11.
Their departures hurt a generation that grew up with them on the screen. And that pain turned into indignation when their faces did not appear on the Dolby Theater’s big screen.
The Academy usually screws up with these tributes – someone is always left out – but this time the wound for the fans is deep. Too recent, too meaningful.
In the end, there is the bitter feeling that a montage intended to unite us in memory ended up generating more division and unanswered questions.
