Academy Defends Farrah Diss.

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The Academy Awards row over a perceived snub to Farrah Fawcett showed no sign of abating late Tuesday, with an Oscars chief defending the decision to omit the late “Charlie’s Angels” star from the gala’s In Memoriam segment.

The executive director of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Bruce Davis, said it was a difficult decision for the committee that assembles the segment to omit Fawcett and he was not surprised that fans and family members are upset.

Davis told the Associated Press his colleagues thought Fawcett was best known for her “remarkable television work” and would be more appropriately honored by at the Emmy Awards

On Tuesday afternoon Ryan O’Neal told Radar Online that the Academy should “speak and explain their decision”.

The entertainment website reported that the Academy had to whittle more than 100 names down to about 30, with Fawcett not making the cut.

Farrah had been a member of the academy since 1979 and was even a presenter one year.

E! Online also questioned Fawcett’s omission Tuesday – while noting that Michael Jackson, who has a far skimper film resume than the actress, made it.

TMZ also went in to bat for the actress – headlining its report of Davis’ explanation for the decision as “The Oscars Produce BS Farrah Fawcett Excuse”.

A poll on the website asking if the “Oscars excuse” was ‘BS’ (bullshit) or ‘makes sense’ had more than 21,000 voters, with 93 per cent of those backing TMZ’s take on the ommission.

For the record Fawcett’s film background included 19 movies, leading to nominations for a Golden Globe (“Extremities”) and Spirt Award (“The Apostle”).

“Indeed, Bea Arthur and Ed McMahon, like Fawcett better remembered for their TV work than their movie roles, were also overlooked during the segment, which also included nods to Patrick Swayze, Brittany Murphy, Jean Simmons and Karl Malden,” E! Online reported.

-“The BklynBandette.” Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.