The Best Memes & Tweets About The 2025 Oscars

The biggest night in movies brought a slew of viral moments, starting with a performance fans had been manifesting for months.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who were both nominated for Wicked, sang a mashup of songs in front of a montage of movie scenes set in Los Angeles. The culmination of songs — Grande singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Erivo singing “Home” from The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz, respectively; plus a duet of “Defying Gravity” — served as an homage to the city in the aftermath of its devastating wildfires in January.

It was the first of many viral moments throughout the evening. Here’s a recap of the best memes and tweets from the 2025 Academy Awards on March 2.

A Touching Tribute

Fans couldn’t contain their emotions watching Erivo and Grande’s duet, and neither could co-star Michelle Yeoh, as several viewers pointed out.

Other viewers on X (formerly Twitter) honed in on how cinematic the performance was, especially when Grande was captured watching Erivo in awe. One fan wrote, “going to need 3 business days to recover from cynthia and ariana performing defying gravity live.”

Adam Sandler’s Casual ’Fit

Fashion is half the fun of watching the Oscars, and one of the best looks of the evening was, undoubtedly, Adam Sandler in a zip-up hoodie and basketball shorts. Or, as one fan put it on Threads, “Adam Sandler dressed as Adam Sandler at the Oscars.”

In a bit, host Conan O’Brien alerted viewers to Sandler’s comfy ensemble. “Nobody even thought about what I was wearing until you brought it up!” Sandler shouted back. As he left the theater, he invited his peers to some five-on-five basketball after the show — and said hi to his hoops pal, Timothée Chalamet.

One fan on X said Sandler was their “religion,” while another described the look as Sandler’s “Sunday best.” And really, who among us is not rocking the same ’fit as we watch along at home?

A Succession Showdown

Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for his role in A Real Pain, besting his on-screen brother Jeremy Strong, who was nominated in the same category for The Apprentice. One fan joked on Threads that Culkin getting an Oscar first was “so Succession coded.”

In his acceptance speech, Culkin made sure to celebrate Strong, calling his former castmate’s performance “amazing.”

“THAT’S LITERALLY FAMILY,” one fan wrote on X. Another said, “kieran praising jeremy in his speech… the roy siblings are for life.”

As for Culkin’s IRL family, he joked in his speech that he’d like another child, recalling when wife Jazz Charton had said she’d agree to four kids if he won an Oscar. “Let’s get cracking on those kids,” he teased.

On X, one fan said, “the best thing about kieran culkin winning is his speeches. he’s just a silly talented guy,” and another noted that it “will go down in history as one of the best ever.”

James Bond Confusion

The ceremony featured a James Bond tribute, which included Margaret Qualley in a Bond girl-esque role, followed by musical homages from Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye.

But just days after news broke that Bond was Amazon-bound, fans wondered why the extended homage didn’t tease the spy’s future. “Unless Margaret Qualley is the new Bond, I don’t see the point of this,” one viewer wrote on X.

“Is...is Margaret Qualley the new 007?” wondered another, adding that they “don’t hate” the idea.

On Threads, people were similarly perplexed. “I really thought they were about to announce the new James Bond during the Oscars just now,” one viewer wrote. As another put it, “Wishfully thought the James Bond tribute at the Oscars was going to be the announcement of our first female Bond.”

Zoe Saldaña’s Historic Win

Accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña sweetly called out to her mom in the audience, and then celebrated the historic context of her big win.

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams, and dignity, and hard-working hands. And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last,” she said.

One viewer wrote on X, “seeing her sob for her mama was so touching.” A fan said they were glad to see Saldaña “finally getting all her flowers.”

Missing From “In Memoriam”

Viewers noted several names missing from the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment, including Michelle Trachtenberg, who died on Feb. 26.

The omission of the Ice Princess star was “gutting,” one viewer wrote on X. Another said, “you are and will remain so so loved and admired michelle.”

A John Lithgow Meme Was Born

At the start of the show, O’Brien said that instead of cut-off music, Conclave star John Lithgow’s disappointed visage would be used to stop acceptance speeches that ran too long. While that didn’t really pan out, Lithgow’s face became the meme of the evening.

One viewer on Threads used it to describe the feeling when your colleague asks for something at work, and on X, a fan said Lithgow’s face gave “serious ‘this could have been an email’ vibes.”

Mikey Madison’s Surprise Win

The big surprise of the evening came from Mikey Madison, who won Best Actress for her role in Anora. While Demi Moore had been favored to win for her role in The Substance, many users welcomed the twist.

“Definitely unexpected but congrats to Mikey Madison!” one fan wrote on Threads.

“We so rarely get a major surprise in an acting category at the Oscars — the winners of which often feel like forgone conclusions by the end of awards season — so the excitement of Mikey Madison winning over Demi Moore was really welcome, in my opinion,” another wrote.