7. Steve Carell And Will Ferrell’s Odd Comedy Bit (2006)
The 78th Academy Awards featured a presentation that immediately caught the audience’s attention for all the wrong reasons. Actors Steve Carell and Will Ferrell walked onto the stage to present the Oscar for Best Makeup, but both appeared in exaggerated, intentionally terrible cosmetic looks. Carell’s face was covered in heavy eye shadow and oversized false eyelashes that repeatedly forced his eyes half shut. Ferrell appeared beside him with equally dramatic makeup, including thick blush and dark eyeliner that made the gag impossible to ignore.
The joke was that they were praising the brilliance of professional makeup artists while clearly demonstrating how wrong things can go. “Of all the tools an actor has in creating the perfect look for a part, none is more important than the skillful use of makeup,” Carell began while struggling to keep his eyes open. Ferrell followed by calling makeup artists “the magicians of the movie industry,” but the bit grew increasingly awkward as Carell blinked against the lashes and the pair exchanged odd cologne banter before announcing the winner.
