Seth MacFarlane today tweeted that he has no intention of hosting next year's Oscar ceremony. This could be because the assignment is so enormous, the criticism was so enormous, or it could be a case of "You can't fire me! I quit!"
In any event, it's on to next year. Scroll down for some host suggestions.
34 comments :
A big name who doesn't offend but can still be unexpected. A member of the Hollywood elite, yet could still use the gig. Someone with a background in stand up and even a good singing voice.
So why IS it I never see Jim Carrey's name mentioned?
I KEEP suggesting Samberg/Timberlake. Hilarious yet for the most part classy.
How about Denzel? He wouldn't do it because he detests unnecessary attention. But the man has all of the elements necessary to host (and he's just so frickin' likable, unlike Mr. Seth).
We always point to the comedians, but Hugh Jackman carried the award show with a grace that was missing with most the comic acts.
Neil Patrick Harris. Classy, funny, and a good song and dance man. Could do worse.
I was privileged to attend an event for the Urban League where Denzel Washington was the MC and he was awesome, but he's too smart to ever consider hosting the Oscars.
I actually was looking forward to Eddie Murphy. I know it's been ages since he's done standup, but he was a great host of awards shows in his 1980s standup hay day. He could still have it.
I actually liked the SAG Awards the best of all of the awards shows. The Motion Picture Academy does this every year. Over DO. Over Do. Over Do. I think next year they should bring in Henry Kissinger and have Richard Nixon in the overhead screen. Far more relevant. Clips of Dick Cheney getting waterboarded would bring droves of new viewers.
Jamie Foxx
Melissa McCarthy (yes, I thought she was funny)
Whitney Cummings (I bet Ken approves!)
Louis CK (yeah, that will happen)
but really
TOM HANKS goddammit.
Justin Timberlake or Jon Hamm - funny, multi-talented & *good* SNL hosting veterans.
A host is barely needed anymore. Simply have a warm-up comic do a 5 minute routine at the beginning, goofing on the nominated films/stars, then proceed with the awards, drop the production numbers and in memoriam, and get it done in two hours, period.
On a more positive note, a student put together a much more appropriate and impressive tribute to 50 years of Bond...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t10mNXtfdUw
The Academy should have hired him to instead!
By which I mean, "on a less divisive note", given all the negativity surrounding this year's Oscars.
Also, my choices: Jerry Seinfeld would probably be great. Garry Shandling would also probably kill. Neil Patrick Harris would undoubtedly be brilliant. Teaming Steve Martin with the right person would be fantastic. I enjoyed Ellen Degeneres, too.
And for God's sake, hire a big team of writers, force presenters to rehearse, and cram comedy all the way through to lift the (inevitably) saggy middle. No need to be "daring" either.
farm it out to a calling center in an undisclosed location. "hello, I am Jack, I will be hosting this years academy awards"
Jamie Foxx - an Oscar winner with a background in stand-up. He has the requisite class, as well as the ability to go with the flow as events unfold.
Jamie Foxx's tendency to hog the camera would have difficulty sharing the stage with Oscar. At least that's my impression. A film star with an undertone of class and comic sensibility who'd probably never do it... Owen Wilson?
The best thing about this story is I got mentioned. http://www.salon.com/2013/02/26/seth_macfarlane_says_he_wont_host_oscars_again/
Ken -- like you I have a savvy, sharp daughter. She's just 15, but as Eddie Albert said in "Escape to Witch Mountain," she is "very wise for her yearrrrs."
Anyway, I was talking about the mostly negative reaction to McFarlane and she quickly said, "But look at the publicity the Oscars are still getting -- days after it was on."
She has a point.
Just like Ricky Gervais, I believe that very little of what went on during that ceremony came as a surprise to any of the attendees, who have enjoyed lots of post-show publicity as well, even if they were skewered.
And wasn't there a lot of buzz about whether Ricky Gervais would host again, and whether he wanted to host again -- and whoops! He hosted again!
So much that happens in the high-stakes world of the movie business that it less and less likely that each and every star, agent and publicist knew what they were in for. They may not have liked it, but look at the results. Television is desperate for events that defy the DVR. You want to see it so you can talk about it.
Oh, by the way, a bit of trivia: at the beginning of the show, as the announcer spoke and McFarlane appeared, the music was a note-for-note re-creation of the overture from the Walt Disney musical, "The Happiest Millionaire," starring Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson. Not sure why.
Just a revision - the stars, agents and publicist DID know what they were in for. Darn those double negatives!
Brent Musburger.
All I can say is, more Chicago.
Next host with nothing to prove and no pressure to prove it: Anybody with talent, grace and elegance, but without an ego as big as the Dolby Theater.
Or what "Mister Charlie" 11 above me said.
Jaime Fox? You can't be serious! He's too ghetto. Inarticulate. He was so in over his head in Django, he wasn't even nominated. He messed up what could have been a great film, had he not been in it. Even Tarantino said he told Fox, during filming, he thought he'd made a big mistake casting Fox. Presenting at this last event, Fox looked and sounded like he shit his pants.
Please no more talk about Jaimie Fox. He did a vaudeville imitation of Ray Charles and got extremely lucky. He's not a heavy swinger, and chokes under pressure. He's currently the premier Affirmative Action Star.
How about Joel McHale? He would need adult supervision, but otherwise I think he could do it.
It seems to me the reaction to Oscar hosting -- at least since Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal -- has always been "mostly negative." Unhappy people have a stronger reason to speak up, and everybody else has moved on already.
So, they won't have Seth to kick around anymore, ehhhh?
Well, we can always give the retiring Pope the boot, e.g.,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNJWOZPbSw
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@Johnny Walker: Thanks for pointing out that video. It's far better than what we got on the Oscars.
Get Kevin Spacey to do his Johnny Carson impression all night. If he says no, call Dave Thomas and say that you need Bob Hope. If he says no, call Frank Caliendo and settle for John Madden.
Or hey, you know what? I'LL do it. I've never seen so many people who want to find somebody else to get a job done. What a bunch of lazy shifters. No wonder this country's going straight into the ditch. All right? OK? I'll do it.
Ken,
Supposedly, MacFarlane's quote came from an interview before the Oscars, so its very possible that that he simply doesn't want to put the effort into a relatively thankless job again. As for future hosts; definitely not Samberg. I like him, but the job he did on the Independent Spirit Awards, Saturday, was excruciating. Tom Hanks might be a good choice.
Let's see. We need someone who's talented, funny and intelligent... someone with unimpeachable experience in the entertainment industry who can hold his own in a room full of stars... whom everyone likes, and who knows how to be pointed and witty without being rude. Who is willing to work with whatever writing team is assigned to him, and yet can ad-lib jokes on the fly if necessary.
Kermit the Frog to host the Oscars.
You heard it here first.
Ken: I'm a little baffled. What's the difference between "anonymous" and all the fake names most posters use?
@BobinVT, I think it's partially a matter of respect. Plus, even if it's a fake name, that person is still claiming it. They are revealing themselves with every post to the community, and thus can be held accountable for what they say. (So, really, what does it matter if the name is real or not?)
I've noticed that anonymous posters can be extremely rude. Posters (tend) to take the time to be more respectful if they're going to use an alias/real name.
I'm sure Ken has his own reasons, but that's just what I've noticed.
Also, most of us nom de plumers have given out our right names from time to time, and Ken knows us.
FrankTV
Looking at the Bond tribute posted above, I see a clip of the exact scene of OHMSS that was discussed on this blog earlier. There was no breaking of the 4th wall, he is looking at Rigg and not at the audience.
I like the idea of Jerry Seinfeld as host, though I don't know if he would be comfortable doing topical, movie-related humor. If not Jerry, how about Tina Fey (with or without Amy Poehler)?
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