New OSCARS Category: "Popular Film" (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

How about a pair of hosts?

1) One each from the older and younger generation.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett

 

[PMF]

How about no hosts, at all.
How about just those two reps from Price-Waterhouse with their briefcases in tow.
No songs. No dances. No clips.
Just two suits, each taking turns at the podium, opening their envelopes and reading the names;
leaving only the winners the chance to talk, accept and walk. Done deal.

 

[TJPC]

Boy we could record that and watch it in 1/2 an hour?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Like their current plan has been working and viewership is up every year right Colin?

I didn't say that, but I think Hart as host has a better shot at bringing eyes to the TV than Billy Frinkin' Crystal!

I'm also a bit annoyed by the prejudging of how Hart will do. He's a funny guy - why not give him a shot before we run to embrace a 70-year-old comedian whose best days career-wise are way in the past?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Yup. I think you ARE the only one.

I used to be a big Letterman fan (back in the '80s). I was thrilled when he got the hosting gig. But he committed the grievous error of trying to make the show all about himself and his own schtick. I was glad he was never brought back.

Oh, I loved Letterman's hosting gig!

 

[B-ROLL]

Oh, I loved Letterman's hosting gig!

+1

 

[MatthewA]

And of course, the Top 10 was the best part of Letterman's ceremony. I assume Ms. Winfrey and Ms. Thurman have been properly acquainted?

Yeah, bring back a host no one under the age of 50 has ever heard of instead of a comedian who might actually bring younger viewers to the broadcast. Great plan!

Younger people know who he is because of Monsters, Inc and The Princess Bride.

How about no hosts, at all.
How about just those two reps from Price-Waterhouse with their briefcases in tow.
No songs. No dances. No clips.
Just two suits, each taking turns at the podium, opening their envelopes and reading the names;
leaving only the winners the chance to talk, accept and walk. Done deal.

You mean like they did in the 1930s?

 

[Sam Favate]

Nope. Oscars are a must watch for me and have never missed one. Don’t really care who the host is as I watch for award presentations and the speeches.

Don't forget the duets with Snow White!

Seriously, the thing I like best is the presentation/speeches but they seem to make those shorter every year to squeeze in more nonsense.

I'll grant that it's not easy to write a brief shtick for presenters so they don't seem wooden but a lot of that stuff is cringe-worthy.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Yeah, bring back a host no one under the age of 50 has ever heard of instead of a comedian who might actually bring younger viewers to the broadcast. Great plan!

The over-50s are the only ones faithfully watching the Oscars. Why not cater to them? A choice like Hart will turn off older viewers and only pull in a handful of Hart fans, most of whom just want to see him in funny movies, not hosting Oscar telecasts.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Younger people know who he is because of Monsters, Inc and The Princess Bride.

So you think "younger people" know Billy Crystal because of an animated movie from 2001 and a live-action movie from 1987, one in which he played a small role and wore heavy makeup?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

The over-50s are the only ones faithfully watching the Oscars. Why not cater to them? A choice like Hart will turn off older viewers and only pull in a handful of Hart fans, most of whom just want to see him in funny movies, not hosting Oscar telecasts.

The faithful Oscar watchers aren't gonna bail due to any particular host. People who've watched the Oscars for decades aren't going to suddenly bail because Kevin Hart is the host - why would they be turned off by Hart?

 

[TravisR]

The faithful Oscar watchers aren't gonna bail due to any particular host. People who've watched the Oscars for decades aren't going to suddenly bail because Kevin Hart is the host - why would they be turned off by Hart?

Also, Hart will likely be doing fairly safe & universal material like jokes about celebrities & current events. It won't be a Kevin Hart stand up show, it'll be Kevin Hart hosting an awards ceremony telling jokes primarily written by the old mummies who have been writing the jokes for the Oscars for decades.

 

[MatthewA]

Who's writing the specials these days? With some of the material, you'd think that's the one place where house needed to be cleaned.

So you think "younger people" know Billy Crystal because of an animated movie from 2001 and a live-action movie from 1987, one in which he played a small role and wore heavy makeup?

They're more likely to know him from that than from a forgettable movie such as Father's Day. Which one is watched by more people in this day and age? Even from those, they would recognize his voice. Those are the films he made that were most likely to have been seen by children, and those old enough to read can now search IMDb and the credits. They wouldn't have recognized him from When Harry Met Sally because it was rated R, and likely not from Soap* for similar reasons. The majority of Oscar viewers are adults anyway. And I imagine a plurality, if not a majority, of those who care are of the same generation as Mr. Crystal.

Don't forget the duets with Snow White!

That particular ceremony also had a number about "The Stars of Tomorrow", which included Ricki Lake, who clashed with presenter Lucille Ball who would not be with us much longer.

*ABC, who broadcasts the Oscars, gave us that after five years of Robert Reed as Mike Brady. Two instances where the actor's sexual orientation differed from the character he played.

 

[Vic Pardo]

The faithful Oscar watchers aren't gonna bail due to any particular host. People who've watched the Oscars for decades aren't going to suddenly bail because Kevin Hart is the host - why would they be turned off by Hart?

I didn't say they were gonna bail. I said they would be turned off. I've been turned off by most Oscar hosts in the last 20-odd years, but I still watched, for the most part. Although I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was the lowest-rated Oscarcast ever.

To be honest, I only know Hart as a comic supporting actor. I've only seen him in that Jumanji movie.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

They're more likely to know him from that than from a forgettable movie such as Father's Day. Which one is watched by more people in this day and age? Even from those, they would recognize his voice. Those are the films he made that were most likely to have been seen by children, and those old enough to read can now search IMDb and the credits.

Sure, but the notion that Crystal would be a draw as host for young people because of "Monsters" or "Bride" remains a massive stretch.

Younger people know Kevin Hart - period. They don't need to go "oh, the guy who did the voice of Mike!"

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I didn't say they were gonna bail. I said they would be turned off. I've been turned off by most Oscar hosts in the last 20-odd years, but I still watched, for the most part. Although I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was the lowest-rated Oscarcast ever.

I would, due to 2 syllables:

Ga
Ga

It seems likely she'll get a nod in the acting realm - presumably Best Actress, though Best Supporting might be the case - and she'll undoubtedly get at least 1 nod in music.

An Oscars that can tout Gaga's nomination will help with viewers.

The basic fact is that Oscars ratings vary based more on the nominees than the hosts. Bring in some popular movies - and stars - and ratings spike.

It's not a coincidence that the 1998 ceremony was one of the most watched ever....

 

[Jake Lipson]

This escalated quickly:

https://deadline.com/2018/12/kevin-hart-steps-down-as-oscar-host-announces-via-twitter-1202515785/

 

[Tino]

Kevin Hart may already be out as host.

From Deadline.

The Kevin Hart Oscar hosting crisis just hit DefCon 1. In his latest Instagram post in handling a crisis that has been escalating all day, Hart essentially says that he has dealt with his homophobic statements in the past, and he’s not going to let Internet trolls win. He will stand his ground and not apologize, despite the Academy’s persistent demand for an apology. He says that if the Academy can’t accept that, they can replace him and it will be “no harm, no foul.” So it seems just a matter of time before the Academy cuts ties with him, a move that can come as early as tonight. Because even though Hart has a point in objecting to have postings from nearly a decade ago thrown in his face, his stubbornness has established him as a clear liability, and his unwillingness to apologize for homophobic comments could reverberate with nominees and in other areas.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Kevin Hart may already be out as host.

He is. While you were posting that, he "withdrew" on Twitter. I think it's hilarious that his statement is worded as though it is his choice to leave. The Academy would have fired him in the morning anyway -- I'm sure the only reason they haven't issued a statement already is because it's past 9pm in California and nobody is at work -- so he doesn't get any points for "deciding" to step aside.

 

[Wayne_j]

That was fast, I didn't even know there was an issue.