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When actors attend the Academy Awards, they know they may be facing jokes at their expense. The hosts of the show have a room filled with the world’s biggest stars, of course they’re going to use them as fodder to get a laugh or two and keep the mood light between each presentation. Sometimes though, fans of the actors don’t understand this concept, and they get worked up when their favorite celebrities find themselves at the butt of a joke.
It went down in the last third of the show, when Schumer walked into the audience to give credit to the seat fillers, who occupy celebrity seats when they get up for air or go to the bathroom throughout the night to keep the audience looking full. In order to fully explain their role, Schumer decided to just grab a seat filler in action. The comedian then approached a surprised-looking Dunst and pulled her out of her chair. “Can we get you up, honey?” Schumer asked Dunst as the audience laughed.
It’s a fine joke, not a great one, but what you would expect from an award show. The implication is that Dunst isnot a seat filler, so it’s funny Schumer would mistake her as one. Unfortunately, many people did not understand the irony, and Twitter erupted in anger toward Schumer for “disrespecting” Dunst.