Eddie Murphy Quits As Host Of Academy Awards
Just one day after Brett Ratner resigned as producer of the Academy Awards telecast, his buddy, Eddie Murphy also dropped out. Considering that Eddie only agreed to host since Brett was producing, it was not that much of a stretch that Eddie would also hit the road. Apparently Billy Crystal is interested in hosting the show which is good news for the over 50 crowd. I was looking forward to Eddie hosting because he is different than the hosts they typically have. The show was still going to be long and boring, but it would be at least a little different.
Meanwhile, Howard Stern said the whole idea that Brett Ratner had to quit is crazy and that the people in Hollywood are loony. He said that compared to the celebration bestowed on Roman Polanski for drugging and having sex with a 13 year old girl and what Hilary Swank did a couple of weeks ago in celebrating a dictator for money, Ratner's remarks were nothing.
27 comments:
Ah, honoring one's contractual obligations. What a man!
Quite honestly, now I might watch the Oscars after all. Do not find Eddie to be funny, hasn't been since quitting SNL, and quite honestly, he's becoming the poster child for everything loser in all manly and honorable matters: father figure, husband, and artist.
Brian Grazer would be taking over for Brett Ratner, i.e. quality producing for the Oscars this year. The audience is winning!
Oh, and may I please suggest Neil Patrick Harris for the host?
Although I'm way under 50 Enty, I would still love me some clean Billy Crystal humor!
NPH and Hugh Jackman cohosting!
I have to agree with Stern. Polanski and Swank have greater sins, but that's not an excuse for Ratner's behavior in this case. Besides, he seems like a sleazeball in the general, long-term sense.
I'm under 50, and I think Billy would be great, too! I kind of agree with what Stern said. Ratner's comments were rude and demonstrated that he's a jerk (but who didn't know that?), but most of Hollywood thinks Polanski is the most awesome person ever and he RAPED a child who was barely into her teens!!!! Hollywood's ideas on what is and is not acceptable behavior boggles the mind.
I agree with Stern that what Polanski did is worse, but last I checked, no one was asking him to produce the academy awards... i'm sure that if they did, there would be far more protests.
Not a fan of Howard Stern but applaud him for calling out the double standard. I'm under 50 and would enjoy Billy Crystal.
Also, I think Eddie Murphy is funny as heck as Donkey.
I find myself agreeing with Howard Stern. That never happens.
I would love NPH to host. Not just because he is funny as hell and adorable as well, but an openly gay man hosting would be rather ironic. I imagine there would be at least one "I rehearsed so much it made me straight" joke in there.
Having said that, I like Eddie Murphy. I grew up watching him and was looking forward to the Oscars. I don't blame him for leaving. Doubtless he just wasn't interested in doing it after his friend left. There have been rumors for years about trying to get Eddie Murphy to host. I just assumed he only did it cause his friend was producing.
Hurrah, we all win. I don't want "edginess" in my academy awards. This is a mainstream show, on free tv with a worldwide audience of all ages, with a tradition going back close to 100 years. I want clean, but still fun humor. Billy Crystal gets that. NPH and Hugh Jackmsn get it. Brett Ratsass and Eddie Murphy don't. They think they are bigger than the academy awards. I am glad that they are gone. That show needs people who celebrate it's tradition, not want to shit all over it.
Just please don't let letterman back in! Another guy who thought he was bigger than the Awards, and failed because of it.
Yeah...it was wrong of Brett Ratner, but I've heard far worse. Doesn't make it right and he was wrong for publicly saying it...but unfortunately, he thinks that way whether it was said it public or not. He was obviously raised with that belief. Sad that he's so ignorant. It's funny too, because his BFF Eddie Murphy is gay. I wonder if Brett knows that.
ITA @Seachica! Well said!
Neil Patrick Harris and/or Ricky Gervais
THE MUPPETS must present the Oscar shows
one of my gay friends(and me) were more offended by the fact that Bratner dislike the reheasals
@pomme
I guess you've heard that there's an internet frenzy to have the Muppets host. Mayhem would rule!
I have to say I could get behind any of these suggestions, NPH, Ricky G (my #1 choice, obvs), Hugh Jackman, Billy Crystal.
I don't really care all that much since on the whole the Oscars bore me & I usually don't watch them live, just clips the next day, but I also know I'm in the minority and a lot of people do watch them. However, if Ricky or Neil were to host, I'd def check in to the broadcast.
Eddie Murphy would've been painful to watch I think. I too wondered if Brett Ratner (his name has RAT right in it! Like a nomenclatural warning) apologized to his tranny loving BFF Eddie. That guy has been on the DL since Johnny Gill was popular.
I was looking forward to Eddie hosting, but I'd be down with any of the ones you guys mentioned.
Maybe Billy Crystal the most? When is the last time he hosted?
It is a scary day when I agree with Howard Stern. We all Brett is a scumbag, so him opening his mouth with a homophobic slur is not really a surprise is it?
I was wrong yesterday when I said I believed Eddie wouldn't back out.
I like the NPH suggestion - I think he's really well-liked, and would be terrific.
Electric Warrior...You're a metal guru. What do you do? Blacksmith?
I'm actually surprised that they allowed the Eddie choice to go through in the first place.
They would have had to have their finger on the censor button the whole time. Moreover, he stormed out when he didn't win for Dreamgirls a few years ago -- not exactly a fan of the institution.
Blogger Cathy said...
I agree with Stern that what Polanski did is worse, but last I checked, no one was asking him to produce the academy awards... i'm sure that if they did, there would be far more protests.
^^ This.
Good, I'm glad. My thoughts on Murphy echo Rita's. Anyone gone back recently and re-watched old Murphy stand up like Raw and the other one whose name escapes me? The guy's a homophobic, sexist asshole.
NOOOOO NPH NOOOOOO!
Definitely not Ricky. Hasn't been funny since The Office. He & Seacrest must know where the bodies are. NPH, even though I love him, his duet w/ Hugh Jackman on the Tonys showed that he's just not on that level. I'd love to see Hugh, but he said he didn't know if he wanted to do it again. They'll probably pick someone safe & boring.
Howard Stern is right. Hollywood's selective moral outrage is obviously hypocritical. Like, suddenly the Word Police spring into action because someone said the "f" word which has been dropped into how many scripts over the years? Meanwhile, pay for playing court jester for despots in Libya and Chechnya and whereeverthefuck, and raping 13 year olds, THAT'S FINE. And don't pretend the Polanski thing was a singular event. Please. While you holler and rage about Joe Paterno and Penn State. STFU and clean your own house.
Eddie Murphy is an American icon and a truly original talent. He's still funny. I was actually going to watch the Oscars this year just to see a real entertainer go for it. Now, apparently, they will wheel out some dull plastic puppethead, like literally, the fucking muppets, or Neil Patrick Tapdancing Ironic Gay Joke Telling Harris, so I will not be watching.
Not Ricky gervais, he's great for the Golden Globes, but he just doesn't fit for the Oscars.
NPH is my first choice, but taking a cue from the poll at Huffington Post, I'd be good with Jimmy Kimmel, Fallon & Timberlake, or Poehler & Fey. That duet NPH and Jackman did at the Tony's was awesome, and funny.
Brett Ratner's a scumbag, and has been since long before his recent F-word blunder. I do agree with Stern, but I also think Rather should be held accountable for the idiotic things he says (and let's face it, Rat's been on a roll the last week).
Bottom line, Ratner was never a good match for the Oscars. This is an easy way to correct that error.
Oh, I also think Eddie Murphy was fired in a purge of all things Ratner-related by the Academy, but that they are just letting him save face by saying he quit.
"were more offended by the fact that Bratner dislike the rehearsals"
If they could actually get any of the actors to rehearse, I bet the Oscars and other awards shows would suck a lot less. The stiltedness of their presentations is awful.
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