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Greg Evans
Feb 23, 2023
Ariana DeBose performs unusual live song during Baftas
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Ariana DeBose's bizarre Baftas performance at Sunday's ceremony continues to go viral, with people in hysterics at one particular line: "Angela Bassett did the thing."
The performance, which opened Sunday's star-studded event at London's Royal Festival Hall saw the West Side Story actor and singer perform a medley of songs with a rap about all the female nominated talent in between.
However, while the rap might have read well on paper it didn't quite translate well on TV or in person as many of the stars in attendance such as Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana De Armas either politely danced or looked completely bemused.
32-year-old DeBose, who won an Oscar for her role in West Side Story, also appeared to be completely out of breathe at times only adding to the awkwardness of the situation.
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Meme makers have since latched on the aforementioned Angela Bassett line, which was closely followed by "Viola Davis my Woman King" and created one of the best jokes of the year so far.
Here are a few of our favourites:
\u201cangela bassett did the thing\u201d— elijah (@elijah) 1676961126
\u201cwhen i randomly remember that angela bassett did the thing and that viola davis is my woman king\nhttps://t.co/zq1MJV3jlY\u201d— gabby (@gabby) 1677037694
\u201cAngela Bassett before she did the thing\u201d— \u2b50 amy o'connor \u2b50 (@\u2b50 amy o'connor \u2b50) 1676894919
\u201cHow I sleep knowing Angela Bassett did the thing \n\n\u201d— Jose (@Jose) 1676950503
\u201cAngela Bassett when someone else tries to do the thing\u201d— Just Jack (@Just Jack) 1676986846
\u201cAriana DeBose wasn\u2019t lying!! Angela Bassett did do the thing\u201d— euan (@euan) 1676856027
\u201cangela bassett arriving at the Oscars knowing she did the thing \u201d— :/ (@:/) 1677001848
\u201cSomeone fucking edited Angela Bassett's wikipedia lmfao\u201d— Chique Hunter (@Chique Hunter) 1677043391
\u201c\ud83d\udea8 EXCLUSIVE: Ariana DeBose will represent the United Kingdom at #Eurovision2023 with her smash hit rap track \u201cAngela Bassett\u201d \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\u201d— Oliver Adams \ud83e\udd8e (@Oliver Adams \ud83e\udd8e) 1676988420
\u201cAriana DeBose talking to Angela Bassett about The Thing\u201d— Joe Gunn (@Joe Gunn) 1676975929
\u201cAngela Bassett\u2019s agent when she was looking for her next project\u201d— adam (@adam) 1676953078
\u201cangela bassett today:\u201d— austin blake mays (@austin blake mays) 1676905660
\u201cAngela Bassett asking Ariana DeBose what thing she did\u201d— C \u270c\ufe0f (@C \u270c\ufe0f) 1676921492
\u201cme after hearing Ariana DeBose sing \u201cAngela Bassett did the thing\u201d\u201d— Spencer Barrett (@Spencer Barrett) 1676920712
\u201cwill be posting this any time angela bassett does something big or small\u201d— l\u01dd\u0253\u0131u (@l\u01dd\u0253\u0131u) 1676866619
\u201csir angela bassett did the thing\u201d— matt (@matt) 1676865691
\u201cAngela Bassett did the thing\nViola Davis my woman king\u201d— Wendell (@Wendell) 1676847633
\u201chttps://t.co/rvumqWaIOd\u201d— Brandon Streussnig (@Brandon Streussnig) 1677039466
\u201cI think Angela Bassett should release a statement\u201d— sam greisman (@sam greisman) 1676919099
\u201cIf Ariana DeBose\u2019s BAFTA performance was part of a Drag Race episode\u201d— Jake McBain (@Jake McBain) 1677006836
\u201cariana debose when angela basset doesn\u2019t do the thing: \n\nhttps://t.co/Fc6LzueNXK\u201d— cam (@cam) 1676950702
\u201cnearly 24 hours later and I fear I'm going to be quoting Ariana DeBose's dreadful BAFTA's rap until my deathbed\u201d— Alistair Ryder (@Alistair Ryder) 1676901809
Despite deleting her Twitter account DeBose does appear to have found some of the memes funny. Responding to a collection of them on Instagram she wrote: "Honestly I love this."
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