12 Best & Worst Oscar Moments From A Sexism Call-Out to John Travolta's Huge Flub

There was a lot of dancing at the Oscars, but surprisingly, none of it came from the person most expected to let loose, dance-loving host Ellen DeGeneres. Instead, the night’s best musical moment were left to people like Pharrell, who goaded Lupita Nyong’o, Amy Adams, and Meryl Streep into grooving along to his energetic performance of “Happy.” The stars seemed to be genuinely having fun, and after seeing her dance moves, viewers added one more reason to be jealous of the multi-talented Nyong’o to an already-long list.

At first, everything was fine. After 20 Feet From Stardom was announced as the winner for Best Documentary, the producers took to the stage to accept the prize. They thanked their families, acknowledged their co-workers… and then it all went downhill, when star Darlene Love grabbed the mike and started singing a hymn. While Love has a powerful voice, the impromptu performance was uncalled for and a bit over-the-top, a jarring moment in an otherwise sweet speech.

Lupita Nyong’o. Angelina Jolie. Meryl Streep. Brad Pitt. What do these stars have in common, other than being some of the coolest people in Hollywood? They all appeared in Ellen DeGeneres’ supersized selfie, taken during the middle of the show. Alongside several other celebrities, the group nearly broke Twitter with their star-studded photo, and the hilarious stunt was one of the best moments of the night.

Image: @TheEllenShow/Twitter

We all saw it coming, but it doesn’t mean that it still wasn’t thrilling when Lupita Nyong’o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave. Entering the stage with an ecstatic “yes!,” Nyong’o gave a moving, eloquent speech, thanking director Steve McQueen and the real-life Patsey. “No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid,” she said, and the emotional moment was shared by all who’d watched Nyong’o’s ascent to fame over this awards season.

Early in the night, DeGeneres mentioned that she was thinking of ordering pizza for the audience. It was a cute line, but an otherwise forgettable moment. Yet when a little while later, DeGeneres entered the stage holding three boxes of pizza and proceeded to hand slices out to stars like Jonah Hill and Julia Roberts, a simple stunt suddenly became much funnier. Jennifer Lawrence chowed down, Meryl Streep took two slices, and Brad Pitt handed out napkins. Once we got past the surprise of seeing gown-wearing celebrities eat carbs, the impromptu pizza party was pretty fantastic.

A few weeks ago, when Pink was announced as a performer at the Oscars, everyone was a bit surprised; what motive could the Grammy-winning, trapeze-dancing singer possibly have to to sing at the show? On Sunday night, we saw for ourselves — and we couldn’t be happier with the reason for her appearance. As part of the Oscars’ Wizard of Oz tribute, Pink sang a stunning rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” all while footage from the classic film played on the screen behind her. It was an original, marvelous tribute to Oz.

It’s Bette Midler. Singing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” From Beaches. What more could you possibly want?

You had one job, Travolta. ONE JOB. And you call “Let It Go” singer Idina Menzel something that sounded like “Adele Dazeem?!” It was an error heard round the world, with all viewers in agreement: no one messes with the Snow Queen, not even if your name’s John Travolta.

It’s no shock when an awards show goes overtime, but this year’s Oscars went longer than most. Even DeGeneres acknowledged the show’s ridiculous length, pretending to say goodbye after Alfonso Cuaron won his award for Best Director. When Best Picture doesn’t get announced until midnight, something’s gotta go.

As she’s done all awards season, Best Actress winner Cate Blanchett used her acceptance speech to reproach Hollywood for its unwillingness to make more female-driven movies. “Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money,” she said, and the audience — and the Internet — happily voiced their agreement.

Sure, Gravity picked up all the technical awards, and Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor over Chiwetel Ejiofor. But when it came down to the night’s biggest prize, it was 12 Years a Slave that walked away the winner. Accepting the award, director Steve McQueen literally jumped for joy, and deservedly so. In an incredible year for movies, no film stood out brighter than the unforgettable 12 Years a Slave.