The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's decision to push eight entire categories from its annual Oscars ceremony to a separate, non-televised event in order to save time has been controversial from the moment it was announced.
But the controversy has only intensified since clips of Denzel Washington giving legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson his honorary Oscar have surfaced.
The movingly jubilant moment between the two men is the stuff viral Oscars moments are made of, and fans are royally pissed that it was scuttled to a separate ceremony instead of being given the moment many feel it deserved on Hollywood's biggest night.
See the joyful--and sorely missed--moment below.
Jackson was awarded his Oscar on Friday at the yearly ceremony called the Governors Awards at which the three Oscars for lifetime achievement, the Academy Honorary Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, were handed out. These three awards were moved to the separate event beginning in 2009.
Jackson's elation at the award, and Washington's jubilation at presenting it to his longtime friend and colleague, were nothing short of contagious as the men embraced in a raucous bear hug.
Jackson then went on to recount the trajectory of his iconic career, noting that it began with roles like "gang member number 2" and "Black guy" before going on to amass a body of work that comprises more than 150 screen credits.
Of his honorary Oscar, Jackson told the crowd:
“I guarantee you, this this is going to be cherished."
Of course, Jackson's and other lifetime achievement awards that went to legendary writer Elaine May, actor Danny Glover and actress Liv Ullmann wouldn't have been televised during the main Oscars ceremony even in a normal year.
But Jackson's and Washington's uplifting moment came amid new Academy procedures this year in which several technical awards and those honoring short films were cut from the main ceremony and awarded instead during the final hour of the event's red carpet in order to save time.
Especially since they were replaced with a fan-favorite award decided by a Twitter poll, many found the move shockingly disrespectful and unnecessary.
Given the controversy, many found it doubly unbelievable that the Academy would relegate a moment of Oscars glory like Jackson's to a separate ceremony.
The lifetime achievement award given to Jackson on Friday is somehow the actor's only Oscar. He has been nominated just once previously, when he was tapped for the Best Supporting Actor award for 1994's Pulp Fiction.
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