Who Should Host the Oscars?
At the very end of Vulture's chat with Hugh Jackman, they asked if the multi-faceted star would again host the Oscars this year. His response: "I don't know. I haven't been asked." Which got us thinking: If it's never too early for Best Picture punditry, then it's just as valid to start calling the odds on who'll host an awards show five months away. We've narrowed down the race to seven candidates, broken down in three categories: The Thoroughbreds, The Tantalizing Possibilities, and The Dark Horses.
The Thoroughbreds
1. Hugh Jackman
Why: Producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon wanted to do something completely different with last year's show, giving the proceedings a classed-up, throwback feel by putting the orchestra on a thrust stage and bathing the audience in Swarovski-crusted opulence. Hugh was the dashing plastic bridegroom atop their wedding cake (and, some might argue, the glowing bride as well), wowing the crowd with his seemingly boundless gifts for song, dance, and making light-funny at only his own expense. And all the while, he managed to stay effortlessly classy, even when hopping into Frank Langella's lap or singing about pubic hair.
He brought in higher ratings, too: 36.3 million viewers, 4.3 million more than the year before.
Why not: His single 2009 output, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is considered an Oscar frontrunner in all categories, and will therefore turn the evening into an awkward series of hosting stops and acceptance speech starts.
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Comments
If Timberlake or Kathy Griffin get selected as host, I would not watch the Oscars.
As long as he has Karl Pilkington with him.
Amazes me how many people don't get the sarcasm of your "Wolverine in all categories" joke. For this reason alone my pick of Ricky Gervais is threatened. The multitudes seldom fully understand snark and irony.
But I would love Ricky to do it anyway.
How about Craig Ferguson?
"His single 2009 output, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is considered an Oscar frontrunner in all categories"-- is that a joke? All your other "why nots" are serious, but that's not true at all. Anyway, Ricky Gervais should host. He's hilarious and he's never got a chance to host an award show. And Jon Stewart by the way has been the funniest oscar host of the last ten years (except for Billy Crystal). Also, Kristen Chenowith? Seriously? You want some obscure broadway actor who won an emmy for a supporting role in a show no one watches to win? Do you ever want anyone to watch the oscars again?
WTF cares about a bunch of whiny, self-absorbed twits? To myself and the billions more who don't watch - those who actually have lives - the Oscars mean what they should mean: SQUAT!
If they're serious about shaking things up, they should do what the GGs did a couple of years back -- just announce the winners, in and out in 30 minutes! It would be a ratings bonanza!
Except for Jackman again, anyone on this list would be terrible.... terrible.
Ricky Gervais would be good, or just an old favourite like Steve Martin. Crystal is my favourite host, but I think the 2003 Oscars were his grand finale(and they were the best Oscars ever, so that's fine with me).
Do we really need a host? All we need is some star to come to make a welcoming address, and then just get to handing out the awards. That's the way the Golden Globes does it.
Because the Academy is making changes to attract more viewers, why not change the format of the host in some form. They could have multiple hosts to mix it up and have a different energy so people don't get bored. Perhaps divide it up into 3 different acts like a play. I think having big name actors who have been nominated for Oscars before and have proven themselves with comedy could do it. I thought Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin 2 years ago were the funniest people the entire night! The Oscars are supposed to be the cream of the crop. Make the host(s) the cream of the crop too. Or have duo hosts which are two popular duo actors who have been in a popular film together and have great chemistry. It would be fun to see them throw banter off one another, play with words, etc. They should do something like this rather than just finding one person to do it. To me that is what is boring and has been done to death.
i couldn't agree more, Allison! : )
Ricky Gervais should definitely get the first offer, no one would make fun of the celebs more artfully than he would.
Hugh Laurie, now there would be a great presenter - witty, musically-abled and popular with the American audience.
Yeah, you have so much of a life that you take time to comment on a topic you care nothing about. I'm wondering, are you a troll, or are you so self-absorbed that you must foist your worthless and unnecessary opinions on people who care not one bit about what you say?
BETTE MIDLER is the hands-down choice.
Hugh Jackman or Neil Patrick for me!! Both wud do a great job!!
Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry should host. Though I think any past hosts could return---except Whoopi Goldberg. She's no longer viable for that niche.
As for the ----- who opines 30 Rock appeals only to media workers---it's because one of the quickest, best cat & written, atypical comedy shows in the history of TV. Unless by media workers you mean people with IQ's above 110?
Geez, all the way down here and nobody's made the obvious nomination?
Team Joaquin.
It's called Sarcasm, dude. Relax!
I don't know about Billy hosting again, but I wish he'd help write and come up with the opening every year. No other opening sequences have stood out as 'great' to me.
And NEVER mention Steve Martin as host. I turned his oscars off before any of the awards had been handed out.
CRAIG!!! Perfection! And he could show off his dead-on Michael Caine and Sean Connery impressions during the opening monologue.
They actually did that many moons ago; Carol Burnett was one of the hosts, I recall. Why Carol Burnett was a host is anybody's guess. It was silly and self-indulgent -- which sums up Oscar quite nicely.
Bill O'Reilly
excuse me - you just said x-men origins is going to be a front-runner in all categories. HONESTLY????? that's the most asenine statement ever. razzies maybe.
how about:
ricky gervais
ellen degeneres
billy crystal
RICKY GERVAIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wolverine is an oscar frontrunner? Sorry were you being sarcastic there? I had to read that several times to make sure you weren't joking. Wolverine is a front runner for the Razzies.
Jim Carrey should host
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