Yes, but you’re probably not going to like the answer.
Over the past few years, the Academy’s decisions for the “In Memoriam” segment during the Oscars presentation have been easily targeted for who gets left out, either from the complete video segment or who’s emphasized / eulogized over others. This year, with the recent deaths of Eric Dane or James Van Der Beek, to name a few, younger fans have been reasonably upset and expressed their voices on social media.
Hmm…wait…Gene Hackman?
Yeah, Gene and his wife were found dead under some tragic circumstances nearly a week before the Oscars, but he wasn’t included on this year’s memoriam segment…because that happened in 2025. Fans were so confused or that inattentive that Entertainment Weekly made a whole article about it, which feels like the same old “Is Betty White dead / rule of thirds” problem when people forget who died and when. Last year, Morgan Freeman gave a great speech on Hackman’s behalf to kick off the segment, where fans that year decried names like Michelle Trachtenberg being left off the video, echoing the same issues we’re facing now.
However, if we’re being honest about the popularity contest that the Oscars are, outside of industry recognition, it should be no surprise that the same pissing contest continues into this segment. It’s gross, but it’s honest; some folks just aren’t as popular as they may be to you or me, and they don’t make the cut despite their impact.
Of course, I’m not going to tell Geoff Keighley that…
Geoff Keighley – better known for his contributions to video game journalism and his own successful awards show (the annual Game Awards in December) – took to socials after the segment last night to highlight the contributions of his late father, David Keighley, who passed away in September 2025. David Keighley was one of the early pioneers who delivered IMAX to the masses. Early IMAX prints from the late 80s onward had to have Keighley’s “sign of approval” before they could even be released. So yeah, try telling Geoff that, “we couldn’t fit him in due to the popularity contest,” when his dad delivered arguably the most impactful film format of the past two decades.
Yikes!
As a massive fan of Nolan and various directors work to promote IMAX over the years, to see one of it’s originators left out really struck a chord. Even though I recognize how complex this segment or even producing the entire show is, surely we can try something else? Though I doubt Hollywood will take my suggestions seriously, here are a few options for the Academy to consider if they want to fix the problem, ordered from most likely to least likely. (Also, I’m mostly joking…mostly)
MOST LIKELY: Keep On Trucking On
Just because it’s the most likely option doesn’t mean I love it. I hate it, this means we’ll be dealing with this issue every dang year and as audiences get younger and younger, more detached from older Hollywood greats, this social media argument will only get louder. The only thing I will say in defense of the Academy’s current approach: it’s kind of weird that we complain about this on social media, a medium that’s actually better for doing longer appreciation posts and videos about the amazing performers and crew we lost than a short, expensive segment on a traditional media outlet. Since we hear next to nothing about most of the deceased, wouldn’t an online outlet at least increase the chance that someone will seek out a cinematographer or visual artist’s work instead of a photo and name whizzing by?
UNLIKELY: Cut the Segment….Completely
Welp, if you can’t please everybody, let’s just yank the segment and only give a few shout-outs to the people we like. I mean, we’re already doing that with some of these eulogies. If we really want to get people talking, eliminating the complete segment just adds more fuel to the fire. Maybe we can even dangle the idea of bringing the segment back in a few years as a way to get more views, only for a well-timed Conan gag to pop the dire cancellation news.
Who am I kidding, by that point Tucker Carlson will be hosting the show…
LEAST LIKELY: Show Everyone
Assuming we gave everyone who passed away in 2026 a minimum of 5 seconds on screen, that would take roughly 24-25 mins of presentation time. That’s a long run time, but think about it, we can continue the popularity contest by letting their surviving blood relatives fight to decide who is listed first or dead last, and we can even lock the doors of the Academy to force every star to watch while the seat fillers get free drinks at the bar for their patience. I predict Chalamet or Brody will be the first to instigate a mob to break down the doors, but it will be captured in full YouTube 4k for the whole world to see their blatant disregard of a sacred moment.
INNOVATE: Combine the Memoriam Feed with the Red Carpet (I’m Not Joking)
My actual solution, which recognizes the hush-hush apathy in humanity that this segment reveals and the power of social media, is a combination that allows for more stories and segments while still weaving them into the live airings.
The Oscars are currently presented live on ABC with pre-show, red carpet coverage handled partially on ABC and E!. However, with the shift to YouTube TV next year, this presents an opportunity live TV couldn’t offer: a second feed, or more aptly titled “In Memoriam” feed.
Another camera or rope line can be set up for stars and crew to pass by and leave a kind word about folks listed in the segment, with some moments planned in advance to make sure lesser-known crew members aren’t left out. As much as we crow about different performers being left out of the segment, above-the-line crew members (cinematographers, editors, etc) especially get the shaft, and don’t even get me started on below-the-line crew. (Yes, I know they are usually handled within their own guilds and organizations, but still)
With this presented online, the production crew can juggle multiple feeds and switch over when they know a good story is coming up or potentially partner with another network (unlikely) or streaming partner (possible) that wants to handle the additional coverage.
Another benefit this creates is a smaller segment during the main show, which will inevitably still garner some flak from audiences, but could create a more holistic honoring of everyone we’ve lost and foster some curiosity for newer fans unaware with a cast or crew member’s work. It would also allow you to tag that actor or crew member’s work in the feed so fans could click their bios and learn more about them.
Thoughts?
I truly started this off as more of a joke, but the more I think about the switch the YouTube, the more I think this idea could have a chance. But what do you think? Would multiple feeds or a memoriam live stream be interesting to you? Would that get you more interested in these amazing people? Or should we go with the obvious worse option down below?
DESECRATION: Use AI to Reanimate The Dead
I seriously hate AI usage, but with the way Hollywood studios are going, the memoriam segment won’t make any sense if artists live on in these bastardized creations. Why air the segment if I just saw someone make a de-aged, AI-version of Betty White surfing while the rest of the Golden Girls play volleyball on the beach? Did you love the iconic car chase in The French Connection and want to remake it with the deceased Gene Hackman? Never fear, we’ll have him chasing Robert Duvall on a horse, directed by the newly debuted AI-program REINER as they all careen off a cliff Thelma and Louise-style!
Don’t type any of that into a search bar, you’ll regret it.
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