As Amy Schumer mentioned in her bit that followed, the Oscars vibe really changed after the smack heard around the world. It was hard to pay attention to rest of the show, and I felt particularly bad for Questlove, who received the Oscar that Chris Rock was announcing for Best Documentary. It turns out that Questlove was meditating when Will Smith confronted Rock and assumed that it was a planned bit up until the moment he went on stage. That makes sense because so many of us at home thought so at first too. (Also watch Summer of Soul on Hulu if you haven’t seen it yet – it’s incredible. You can see Questlove’s interview post-Oscars here. I would cover it separately but less than ten people commented the last time I covered him. People complain about our content, but look at how many comments royal stories get. When you don’t comment we’re not inclined to cover specific celebrities and topics so honk if you like something.)
One of the most touching moments of the ceremony was when Lady Gaga presented Best Picture along with Liza Minnelli. Gaga was so sweet and gentle with Liza, and told her she had her back. Gaga has a deep understanding and respect for her elders and it shows. It also reminded me of what Samuel L. Jackson said recently, that everyone deserves love and respect. Gaga got compliments for being sweet to Liza in a way that wasn’t condescending or patronizing. We’ve seen her with Tony Bennett too, and she has so much care and appreciation for older people. It was also a nice way for Gaga to be featured on the Oscars when she didn’t get nominated this year. Here’s some of USA Today’s writeup on this:
In the midst of a chaotic — and briefly violent — Oscars ceremony, one moment from the broadcast is making waves on social media in a positive way.
That moment was the tender exchange between Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli, who appeared alongside the “House of Gucci” star as a surprise best picture presenter.
“You see that? The public, they love you,” Gaga, 36, told Minnelli, 76, whose introduction was followed by a standing ovation inside the Dolby Theater.
When Minnelli appeared to struggle with the sheets of paper she was holding and muttered “I don’t understand,” Gaga gracefully assisted her, saying “I got it” and taking the musical theater icon by the hand.
“Good evening. You know how I love working with legends,” Gaga began. “And I’m honored to present the final award of the evening with a true, show business legend.”
Gaga also told Liza “I got you” and Liza said “I know.” Watching this again has me teared up! Buzzfeed has more about some of Liza’s health issues. She had encephalitis back in 2000 and was told she wouldn’t walk or talk again. She went on to fight hard and recover from that. I was so happy to see Liza and to see the kind support and love she got from Gaga. This is how older people should be treated.
Here’s that clip!
Also, have you seen this clip of Gaga telling Caitlyn Jenner outside Elton John’s Oscar party that she’d switched baristas? Gaga doesn’t suffer fools and this was priceless. (Thanks Rhiannon!)
Shout out to @ladygaga for seeing beyond ageism and ableism and showing people on a world stage what it means to be human.
And to Liza Minelli for being herself in front of the world's most elitist and unforgiving audience with unattainable standards. https://t.co/IxQq1XyxOs— Age Inclusion in Media (AIM) (@ageinclusion) March 29, 2022
Lady Gaga has had an unusual arc in the public mind in going from "weirdo in a meat dress" to "nice Italian girl who respects her elders."
— Zack Stentz (@MuseZack) March 28, 2022
photos credit: Instar and Getty
I loved the way she treated Liza. And Liza’s eyes when she looked to Gaga for support were so beautiful.
And I LOVE that “well…I’ve switched baristas” has taken over the internet now. Like seriously, it needs a merch line.
Agreed.
One of the best moments of the night. So good to see Liza out there!
Gaga showed such class to Liza and such shade to Jenner and I am here for it.
I have been a fan of Liza Minnelli since Cabaret. Such a voice!!!! So glad to see her.
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Liza was incredible in Cabaret!!! She is such her mother it’s uncanny!!! It is great to see her though!!
I hate to admit it, but one of the Sex and the City movies she was in, I recorded it but didn’t watch all of except the part of the wedding when LIZA performed!!! Those LEGS!!!!! Such an icon!!
Oh, how wonderful to have been old enough and famous enough to go to Studio 57, back in the day!!! 💃 🎶🕺🎶💃
This is such a touching and genuine moment. I really wish we could focus on this kind of behavior from celebrities instead of the other bullshit.
It really was a lovely momet
I’ve always thought Gaga had a emotional maturity with people.
A few years ago, she had a Thanksgiving special on TV where it featured kids from her alma mater grade school.
I love the conversation that she had with those kids.
Some people just have it and Gaga is one of those people.
Yeah that’s what it is–Gaga has it.
I wish I did!!
Most of the girls in my family (myself included) have attended Sacred Heart, Gaga’s alma mater. She was several grades ahead of me, so while I didn’t know her personally, I do remember seeing her perform at school concerts and recitals (and yes, people recognized that she was ridiculously talented even then). One of my nieces was actually involved in that Thanksgiving special you mentioned, and she said that Gaga was incredibly gracious and kind to all those kids behind the scenes as well — it wasn’t just for the cameras. My niece was very shy back then and was too nervous to approach her, but Gaga apparently read her mind and came over and gave her a hug and took a photo with her, and even managed to get some conversation out of her (about music; she playfully nagged my niece about piano practice). My whole family have been huge fans of her ever since, and seeing the way she treats her elders is only cementing that.
I love to hear stories like this!!! Buzzfeed will sometimes cover stories of nice and not so nice celebrities and I love hear this about Lady Gaga, but I am not surprised!! She seems to be a solid woman who likes to lift up everyone around her!!!
Honk!
Honk! Honk! Honk!
Honk Honk Honk Honk!
It was such a nice moment.
That skirt that Caitlyn Jenner is wearing is so very unflattering.
I love this! I hope to see more of this and less “seat filler” jokes and slaps in the future.
It really was a lovely moment. Gaga has a light and affectionate touch with older folks; it’s wonderful to see.
Never comment in anything but just thought I should say – I am here for All things Questlove.
Seconded. If you ever get a chance, watch his episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots. Incredibly affecting.
Didn’t Gaga also testify in Kesha’s civil suit and refuse to suffer fools during that as well? She seems like a class act.
I adore Lady Gaga and I am not a Little Monster but I adored when she was singing with Tony Bennet and they seemed so compatible!! I made my husband watch it as I adore her!! I also loved her in A Star Is Born!! She is extremely talented as well as exceptionally kind, except to Jenner who doesn’t deserve kindness after her politics, but that’s another story!!
Love gaga she’s just such a respectful person, humble and so grateful to be there, it was wonderful to see her and Liza together
Honk.
I don’t really have a comment but thank you for posting this story.
“So shines a good deed in a weary world.”
I adore Lady Gaga. And I absolutely love how sweet she was with Liza Minnelli.
Also, let’s not forget the most likely unspoken part of that gem of a conversation with Jenner. She said “I’ve switched baristas…” The rest of that sentence was probably “to get the h e l l away from you.”
And her whole demeanor as she walked away was priceless!
A real “I don’t know her” vibe.
Lady Gaga seems like such a genuinely nice person. I love that. Also, I loved their Cabaret look. (I love Cabaret so much!)
“honk if you like something” is cracking me up.
I loved this moment. This moment plus CODA winning was a lovely way to end a very…..strange, lets just say….evening.
Yes, I eager to honk to watch Gaga on the stage with the icon, Liza Minnelli!!! Gaga is such a kind and compassionate woman!! She seems to treat everyone around her so beautifully!!! I wonder if she has an old soul.
Yes!!! I was so happy that CODA took home some gold men!!
This was a beautiful moment, classy and heartwarming.
I agree, Lady G acted in such a sweet and caring way towards Liza. It’s how she always treats Tony too. She is so respectful and always intuitively takes over when she should.
Having said that, I really don’t like it when older, and obviously not all there, celebrities are paraded onto stages. I love Liza and it hurt my heart to see her confused and befuddled on stage. Thank goodness she had Lady G there to get her through.
Yeah, it absolutely reminded me of her way with Tony Bennett. Lady Gaga isn’t kidding about enjoying working with legends, and they do so love working with her as well.
Gaga was just lovely with Liza and Liza seemed to really enjoy being with her.
I found Questlove’s acceptance speech one of the most moving of the night. His tribute to his parents and his mother’s emotional response were just truly touching.
And yes, watch Summer of Soul! Young Stevie Wonder, the Fifth Dimension, the Staples Singers,, Mahalia Jackson, and the phenomenal force of nature that was Sly Stone before his demons destroyed him and his career.
Summer of Soul is perhaps the greatest music documentary ever made.
Jazz on a Summer’s Day is also great.
I just have to mention Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
And honk honk honk for this story and also the one about Questlove. And for Harry, old habits die hard.
Questlove’s acceptance speech was perfection, I was crying by the time he talked about marginalized communities. It reminded me that art can serve so many necessary functions. It can help you make sense of the world, it can help open eyes, it can provide catharsis when you need it most, it can bring joy when it seemed like there was none to be had. The Oscars are flawed but they shine a light on some of the best art and best artists in movies.
I really appreciate everyone who is highlighting this lovely exchange.
My screen name is from Lucille 2, Liza’s role on Arrested Development, I loved her so much on that show. It was wonderful to see her, and for her to have that moment. It had to be a little scary, and Gaga gave her such great support.
She was SO GOOD as Lucille 2! I loved her in that role, she was so funny!
So great on AD.
She, Jessica and Tony didn’t have enough screen time together.
Liza! Liza with a Z!!! I cannot believe it’s been 50 years since Cabaret!! Still one of my all-time favorite movies & Liza was fantastic! Gaga seems like such a lovely person, the ‘nice Italian girl who respects her elders’.
I also just noticed the commenting guidelines, ‘read the article before commenting’. Sorry, that cracked me up!!
She really was absolutely perfect in Cabaret. I’ve never seen it live, but I can’t imagine someone nailing Sally the way she did.
Awww I just watched Cabaret! 💚
I told this story somewhere else yesterday, but I have grown to be a Gaga fan. Her make-up artist’s mother and my MIL were friends since they were children. A few years ago, she gave all her friends back stage passes to one of her shows in Vegas. My MIL said Gaga made it a point to come talk to them after the show and take pics with them, and they all said she treated them so nicely. The Caitlyn snub makes me like her even more. Definitely honking for more Gaga.
People complain about our content, but look at how many comments royal stories get. When you don’t comment we’re not inclined to cover specific celebrities and topics so honk if you like something.)
HONK!! COMMENTING LOL. Please keep up with these other news stories and we will comment, please and thank you!! Xo
Commenting! And from now on, I will NEVER again comment on another royal story.
Gaga has this kindness and goodness about her that just shines through. She’s always trying to connect with people who feel left out or uncomfortable and she treats everyone with such respect. I think she’s probably a very sweet and empathetic woman.
Also — honk honk honk! I tend to stay away from royal stories because I’m not a big royal fan, just an H&M fan, and those threads of experts are intimidating af (I know they get a ton of comments, but probably always from the same people). I love regular old pop culture content!
That was such a lovely moment. Gaga’s outfit was on point, and I had no idea Liza was in such a fragile state, bless her. Also, Honk for Questlove!
I love, love both of them! Liza with a Z is a fantastic show and I love any movie that she has been in and I also love Lady Gaga. She is a legend in the making!
True Story: I was a receptionist at a five star hotel in a South American capital in the early 90s, and Liza stayed there for a tour, with her whole band and entourage. Middle of the night, a pipe burst and their floor (they had booked the whole top floor) flooded. Chaos ensued, people left their rooms to check what was happening and the electronic keys stopped working, so they were locked out of their rooms in their pyjamas with water up to their ankles. And this was just
days after a press conference in which she joked that in her previous hotel (in another city and country), she had received an electric shock from the tap.
My poor colleague on the night shift had quite a stressful night getting everybody moved to other rooms. And the hotel’s general manager ended up buying Liza an expensive designer handbag as way of an apology… as well as not charging her for any of the rooms.
Gaga is the best! Liza is a living legend!
And the Caitlyn snub was *chef’s kiss!
Gaga every day in every way. And Questlove too–a genuinely sweet, humble genius.
This was a lovely moment and I’m glad to see it featured here.
I’ve liked Gaga for a long time as a performer, but she’s really showing her heart recently and I think it is lovely. She not only has been incredibly kind and generous to Tony Bennett, but she’s always spoken with great affection and respect for the elders in her family. It doesn’t seem to be a thing that she reserves for famous people, but for people in general.
I’m a big dork and I REALLY love goodness. Kindness. Generosity. It’s more hip to be cynical, but I love it when people don’t hold back on sharing their sunshine with others.
Me too!
I hated this production of the Oscars. The winners were great but the production itself was was terrible. I almost gave up halfway through but managed to get to the end. And I’m so glad I did because this sweet, genuine moment between Gaga and Liza With A Z was absolutely charming. Gaga’s gentleness with Liza was lovely but what really struck me was how delighted Liza was to be there. Her happiness was almost tangible.
What a lovely moment this was
Gaga is a class act and Liza is a legend, a great actress and singer; Cabaret is my favorite musical from all times.
Summer of Soul won and deserved enjoyed the moment in peace and with joy, it is a great documental and one of the few winners that i really liked it.
I found that moment sad a star is fading
That was a really nice moment.
One thing I appreciate about it is that Gaga interacted with her in a non-patronizing, non-condescending manner.
And it’s cool that Liza just went out there and was herself. She has nothing to be ashamed of. Hollywood is so shallow and youth/beauty obsessed it was good to see someone with some physical challenges out there, being herself. She’s a human being and deserves basic respect. We shouldn’t hide away folks with challenges.
I’ve never been a big Gaga fan but I admire the way she’s risen to the top through hard work and perseverance and has branched out in different ways. I just think her acting is only so/so and sometimes she takes herself way too seriously and plays the game too hard (all the press for her last two big movies, that got tiring). However – I do think that in her heart she’s a good person who respects others and is thankful for what she has, and that was particularly shown in this moment with Liza.
Also – I love the EPIC shade thrown towards Jenner. You can tell she can’t stand her, but still disengaged from the conversation in the ‘nicest’ way possible. If Jenner wasn’t so awful I’d almost feel bad for her but she totally deserves it.
Someone, explain the barista joke to me (please). This is the first time I’ve heard that.
Caitlyn Jenner wanted to chat with Gaga. Caitlyn has a lot of baggage, there are a ton of issues that Gaga wouldn’t exactly support. Caitlyn said “I don’t see you at whatever coffee place” anymore. Not understanding how problematic her own self is. “I’ve changed … baristas” was a delicate way to get out, a better excuse than I need to wash my hair or other things you say to get the hell out.
🙂 thanks
Gaga has her flaws but has always come across as a kind person who has a lot of respect for elderly and/or older people. And the barista comment had me cracking up, especially as there are only a few Starbucks in Malibu so she probably had to go out of her a way a bit to avoid Caitlyn.
Honking for this thread and for the multitudes I enjoyed but never commented. Love that this is a safe haven away from anti vax and Trump enthusiasts during a really fraught period.
honking for liza and that nice italian girl!
Yes! I really enjoyed this
Appreciate your highlighting a touching Oscar moment that brought me to tears. Gaga supported Liza in such a grand and giving manner, while it was lovely to see how Lisa appreciated her recognition. Hollywood royalty and a true lady brought us all a precious memory. Thanks!
This was so lovely!
Lada Gaga captures well my feeling of gratitude and awe to work with our elders, our ancestors. It is a wonderful thing to help our parents and elders, and to learn from them. I have the best job, soothing and listening to the souls with night fears or sharing memories.
Kind, loving, class act!
And I watched the Questlove interview…thanks for the link!
Chris Rock messed up on that intro (on purpose…he had said what he would say at a previous day’s Roots Jam), and the South Asian producer who won alongside Questlove (Joseph Patel) was mad at the dis and being delegated to ‘the other white producers’