It’s heartbreaking to have to include the late Robin Williams on this list — but as a prolific comedian whose career predated most mass revelations about what one should or shouldn’t do for a joke, he’s bound to have a few stinkers in his repertoire. One in particular can be found in a clip from the opening of the 58th Academy Awards, which Williams hosted in 1986 alongside Jane Fonda and Alan Alda.
While welcoming audience members from every corner of the world, Williams puts his admittedly impressive accent work to the test and greets the audience in different languages. This comes to a screeching halt, however, when Fonda gives a special shout-out to the Philippines, prompting Williams to do his version of a Filipino greeting — which, apparently, is speaking in a thick accent and shouting at someone unseen to buy shoes from him.
Though it was met with riotous laughter from the mostly white in-person audience, The Hollywood Reporter has since ranked it among the most problematic jokes in the history of the ceremony. It also feels particularly cruel since the Philippines has never been nominated for best international feature film, despite submitting works from their country 34 times.
