This is in conversation from Apple News. I'm Shemita Basu. Today, the making and the

missteps of the Academy Awards.

When New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman was in his 20s, he became obsessed with the way

that Merrill Streep gave her acceptance speeches.

Just because they were all so funny and Streepe gave her acceptance speeches.

Just because they were all so funny and sort of grand yet self-deprecating.

And I started memorizing them because I thought, you know, not only is she the greatest

living actress, she's is she the greatest living

acceptance speech giver at awards shows.

So he started memorizing them.

It became a sort of party trick.

Name a performance and he could whip out the words in the exact cadence

with the same breathy size.

His favorite was her Oscar speech from 2012

for the Iron Lady.

She got up and she said,

When they called my name,

it was like I could hear half of America saying,

oh, come on why.

Her again. But whatever.

Michael has a unique obsession for Merrill Streep,

but it comes from his deep love for all things film and television.

...