You would think that people would be diligent when it comes to naming awards recipients, especially prestigious ones like an Academy Award winner for the biggest category, Best Picture. However, Sunday night was another example of just how lackadaisical people can be on the biggest stages.
Faye Dunaway incorrectly announced "La La Land," the pre-Oscars favorite, as the winner of the Best Picture award at the 2017 Oscars. Turns out the information that they had been given was wrong as the award was won by "Moonlight" in what was a bit of an upset given that "La La Land" had been the favorite for months.
Effects of mistake difficult on all
The scene at the 89th Academy Awards was more than just awkward to watch and it must have been terrible to live through. The cast and directors of "La La Land" were already on stage when the reversal was announced.
Not only were the false winners humiliated as they went on stage ready to deliver well-prepared speeches, but arguably the real winner was deprived of what should have been an incredibly special moment as, to some extent, they had to suppress their joy of winning out of respect for the people that had been named the winner beforehand.
Steve Garvey not alone
For many, it might bring back bad memories of the 2015 Miss Universe pageant when Steve Harvey incorrectly announced the winner as Miss Columbia when she was actually the runner-up.
That's two major prime-time gaffes of incredibly similar natures in about fourteen months. It's enough to make you wonder if the more recent gaffe was done on purpose just for headlines and media attention as Harvey's gaffe certainly created a major buzz. If not, then you have to wonder how the people involved could be so indifferent to the magnitude of the moments as not to have a wrinkle-free process for making the correct announcement, on worldwide television nonetheless.
"Moonlight" entered the night as the 2nd favorite for the Best Picture award with most expecting it to go to "La La Land." However, the Academy Awards rarely recognize musicals with the Best Picture award as "Chicago" from 2003 remains the last such film to receive the coveted award.
