By Sometimes, and bear with us here, the Oscars can make us laugh. While there's always awkward speeches and curveball musical numbers to contend with, a room packed with acting and comedy talent sometimes gifts us a chortle.
The 92nd Academy Award ceremony wasn't short on the awkward moments, but it had a few laughs too. Here are our favourites from the night:
Steve Martin and Chris Rock made things uncomfortable
Given the Oscars were host-less for a second year, it's a nerve-racking job being the first people to actually speak at the event. This year it was the job of Steve Martin and Chris Rock who stuck it to Jeff Bezos ("Good actor!") and Scorsese's lengthy mob movie ("I loved the first series of The Irishman"). The duo made repeated reference to the lack of female directors and lack of nominees of colour, making an uncomfortable but important point.
Perhaps their best jab was Rock saying, "Driving here at night and seeing the terrible homeless problem in LA –" before Martin intentionally cut him off, saying, "Thank you Chris". They walked offstage after finishing with, "Well, we've had a great time not hosting tonight".
Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves' on-stage chemistry
The pair, who played a couple dating in the 2004 film Something's Gotta Give, were reunited to present the Best Original Screenplay award. They seemed to have some unfinished business, Keaton referencing their time together by saying, "We had some really, let's be frank, we had some good times", to which Reeves inferred she meant fellow co-star Jack Nicholson. Keaton cut in: "I wouldn't go that far". Sorry, Jack!
Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig doing their best acting
The comedy pair, a highlight from the Oscars last year, presented the awards for production design and costume design, adding some fun to two awards which aren't exactly the nail-biters of the evening. Rudolph and Wiig came on stage acted angry in order to convince the directors in the audience they "don't just do comedy". They also broke into a mash-up of songs in order to present the costume award, impressing all but a scowling Billie Eilish who the camera quickly cut away from. Their presenting wasn't groundbreaking, but as a reminder of their natural charm and chemistry with each other, it made clear how much that was lacking elsewhere.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell
Another presenting win was gifted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell, the Downhill co-stars who announced the cinematography and editing awards. The pair did a good bit listing all of the roles of a cinematographer, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus saying sincerely, "It is also the cinematographer who knocks on the trailer door to let you know it's time to go to set and make magic." A dig at how clueless stars think everyone on set is there to service them? Either way we're here for it.
Cats got thrown under the bus
The idea of James Corden and Rebel Wilson appearing in full Cats costume to present an award might send a shudder of fear through your stomach, but they actually provided a brilliant line. "As cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects," Wilson said. The audience laughed. It was probably the best reaction Cats has ever got.
Bong Joon Ho says what we're all thinking
At first, Parasite's victory for Best International Feature Film was bittersweet. Yes, it was deserved, but success in that category all but guaranteed it wouldn't take home the top gong. Or so it seemed at the time. Director Bong Joon Ho's acceptance speech was warm and magnanimous. He was, he said, proud to to be the first winner of the rebranded award (until last year, it was Best Foreign Language Film) as it showed Hollywood was opening itself up to new modes of expression. Then, he cut to the chase. "I'm very ready to drink tonight. Until next morning."
It was a line he'd end up repeating as he got pulled up onstage again, and again (and again) to collect a host of awards that even he didn't think he was in with a shot for. As he told the audience after his surprise Best Director win, "I already thought my night was done."
It was all a long way from when he accepted Parasite's first award, for Best Screenplay, early in the night. As his co-writer, Han Jin Won, made his speech, Bong enjoyed a private giggle with his new statue (his first of four). It was adorable.
