Bob Saget Snubbed by Oscars In Memoriam, and Fans Are Incredibly Upset

By Daniel S. Levine

Although Will Smith slapping Chris Rock drew more attention than anything else during the 94th Academy Awards, the show also featured a widely panned In Memoriam segment. Several glaring omissions were made, including Bob Saget, Norm Macdonald, and Ed Asner, all of whom appeared in movies. Saget's fans were shocked to see the Full House star missing, especially since Saget made several movies during his career.

The In Memoriam segment was strange, as the Sunday Service Choir performed dances and upbeat songs while images of deceased stars played on a screen behind them. Three celebrities were singled out, beginning with Tyler Perry briefly speaking about Sidney Poitier. Bill Murray spoke about Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman before Jamie Lee Curtis brought a dog onstage to join her for a Betty White tribute. The segment ended with the Academy covering itself for any omissions as it directed viewers to its website for a complete list.

Of course, seeing someone's picture on a website and seeing it shown during a broadcast watched by millions of people is not the same. That's why Saget's fans around the world were frustrated. Saget is best known for his work on television as Danny Tanner in Full House. However, he starred in and directed several films, including Dirty Work with Macdonald. Saget also won a student Oscar in 1977 for the documentary Through Adam's Eyes, making his omission even more egregious.

'Did they really forget Bob Saget?'

Saget died in January at 65. He was found dead in his Orange County, Florida, hotel room just hours after performing near Jacksonville. An autopsy found he had blunt head trauma from an accidental blow to the back of his head.

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Macdonald died in September at 61. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 but never publicly disclosed the illness. He starred in several films, including Billy Madison, Dr. Dolittle, Grown Ups, Funny People and The Ridiculous 6.

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'Embarrassing oversights'

Thanks to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Lou Grant, Asner was an icon on television, but he made dozens of movies. Many younger movie lovers know him as the voice of Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's Up. Asner was also the president of the Screen Actors Guild in the early 1980s. Asner died in August at 91.

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'That's just not right!'

Several other performers did not appear in the segment, although many are primarily known for television work. Italian film icon Monica Vitti was not in the piece, as was French actor Gaspard Ulliel. Robert Downey Jr.'s father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., was also not included.

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'Weirdly upbeat' In Memoriam

"More shame on [The Academy]," one fan wrote. "Bob Saget was involved in the making of 18 films, 15 as an actor & 5 as a writer, director & producer. Ed Asner, #legend Lifetime Achievement Award winner, you couldn't give 30 seconds of time? Both should've been included in Memoriam."

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'You need to get it together'

"Also the Academy can take a hike for forgetting about Bob Saget and Norm Macdonald in their in memorium section," another fan tweeted.

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