Crap, and here I thought I had at least two more months before I started thinking about the Academy Awards:
Sharp-tongued comedian Chris Rock has been chosen to host the 77th annual Academy Awards, the film industry's highest honors, next February, the producer of the show said on Thursday as he reached out to a younger generation of comics.
It will be the first time that Rock, a former "Saturday Night Live" cast member, will host the show watched by millions around the world. He will succeed veteran Oscar emcee Billy Crystal (news), who hosted the awards show earlier this year.
"I am a huge fan of Chris Rock," Oscar producer Gil Gates said in a statement. "He always makes me laugh and he always has something interesting to say. Chris represents the best of the new generation of comics."
If Cates really wanted the "best of the new generation of comics," he'd have hired David Cross or Patton Oswalt.
Forgive me, but I've never found Chris Rock funny. If his "angry black man" stand-up shtick consisted of anything remotely thoughtful or incisive, I'd think this was a good choice, but all the man does is stand up there and bellow. His last appearance, three years ago(?), was a flop-sweating disaster where he tried to berate the audience for their whiteness. If the Academy is such a den of elite Caucasian interests, don't accept their invitation to appear. Few people would argue that the Oscars haven't been very even-handed when it comes to minority vs. Anglo nominees, but agreeing to show up sort of takes the oomph out of any complaints you might make later on.
In an era of heightened sensitivity to indecency on the airwaves since Janet Jackson (news)'s breast-baring Super Bowl show last February, Rock might seem a bold choice given the earthy, often profane act he has popularized.
But his selection makes sense from the standpoint of attempts by producers and the Oscar-sponsoring Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to draw greater interest from younger viewers, especially the 18- to 49-year-old age group most prized by TV advertisers, experts said.
Here's your problem: the Oscar host really doesn't do that much. He/she has their opening bit and monologue, introduces the Best Picture nominees throughout the show and the "In Memoriam" segment, and that's about it. Your coveted 18-49 year-olds may tune in for the opening, but after that you've still got something like 6 1/2 hours left.
I don't remember Rock ever being a very effective social comic, but that's just me. The notion that the same person - who starred in such "indie" fare as Bad Company, Head of State, Osmosis Jones, and Lethal Weapon 4 - is somehow removed from Hollywood's mainstream is laughable, but that's not really what they want anyway (remember Letterman?). Hiring Rock allows Cates to argue he's got someone outside the establishment - unlike Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, or, uh, Whoopi Goldberg, while Rock gets...actually, I don't know what Rock gets out of this. Whatever "street" cred he possesses seems like it would sink like a stone after he mouths a few Bruce Vilanche softballs about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson.
And I'll watch the whole goddamned thing anyway, because I am le fool.
Walken for Oscars Emcee. This show needs more cowbell.
Wonderful. Five hours of repetitive tired political whining jokes.
I was hoping for five hours of Virgin Mary and pissing elephant jokes, but I haven't heard much of his latest stuff.
Someone on another message board suggested letting Jim Caviezel host, in full "flayed Christ" regalia, of course.
Rock's "Tossed Salad" routine is pretty funny. The rest of it comes off to me as kinda misplaced professional victim-ness.
Dude, read further. Chris Rock was only asked after Patton Oswalt turned it down. No, really. Check it out. What are you still doing reading this?
Ha ha, just joshing.
I don't know about Oswalt, but I assume the danger in hiring someone like Cross would be resent of the "incredibly liberal" Hollywood we know and love. Cross, after all, is featured on a bazillion, roughly, liberal movies with his anti-Bush commentary. Chris Rock, however, seems to be less offensive with his post-Pryor shit.
What does this say? Let's take a crack at it. Comedy is evolving. Politics are not.
David Cross? Wonderful. Five hours of repetitive tired political whining jokes. Feh.
They need to pick an irreverent, fun, and loveable clown-type like Roberto Begnigni. His lack of command for the English language would make him that much more endrearing in a Harpo Marx kind of way. Or someone who can bring a dignity to the proceedings like... like...
Robert Duvall?
But manic or angry comics, one after the other, makes me feel better about tossing it all in the scrapheap when Shawshank was passed over in 1994 and I started doing other things with my time that evening every year.