Six iconic pop culture moments at the Oscars

Beyond awards and speeches, the Oscars have delivered moments so iconic they broke the internet, reshaped conversations and became cultural touchstones far beyond Hollywood. (wikimedia commons)

Ellen DeGeneres’ Star-Studded Selfie (2014): Ellen’s casual selfie with Meryl Streep, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and others became the most retweeted photo ever at the time, redefining how live TV and social media intersect. (X: fycit app)

Halle Berry Makes History (2002): Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win Best Actress, delivering an emotional speech that remains one of the Oscars’ most powerful and talked about moments. (instagram: official page of oscars)

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s Shallow Performance (2019): Their intimate, stripped down performance blurred the line between acting and reality, igniting massive fan speculation and becoming one of the most replayed Oscar performances ever. (youtube: ladygagaVEVO)

Parasite Sweeps the Oscars (2020): Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made history as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture, marking a major cultural shift in global cinema recognition. (instagram: ampviacomcbs)

The La La Land- Moonlight Best Picture Mix Up (2017): In one of the most shocking Oscar moments ever, La La Land was wrongly announced as Best Picture before the award was corrected live on stage in favour of Moonlight. (youtube: entertainment tonight)

Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock (2022): A joke about Jada Pinkett Smith led to a real-life confrontation that stunned viewers worldwide and instantly became one of the most discussed live TV moments in recent history. (youtube: hollywood life)