BREAKING NEWS: Ellen is Hosting the Oscars!
Filed under: Comedy, Awards, Casting, Celebrities and Controversy, Oscar Watch
It seems the Academy has given up on wooing a young audience for its Oscars telecast. After somewhat striking out (in other people's opinions) with hip hosts Chris Rock and Jon Stewart, the high council of self-congratulation has picked Ellen DeGeneres as the emcee for the 79th annual Academy Awards, which will take place on February 25, 2007. Like many other people under the age of 30 (this will be the last year I can say this), I don't find Ellen to be very entertaining or, more importantly, very funny. If it weren't for my love of the movies, I'd be completely ignoring the next Oscars. From the look of the films coming out in the next few months (i.e. the ones that will likely be nominated for Oscars), I don't expect Ellen to be the worst or most boring thing about the Oscar ceremony, so perhaps she will stand out in some way. Actually, I think the Academy should already be putting favor towards the older contenders like Clint Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, etc. Obviously the audience for the broadcast is going to be older now, thanks to the choice of host, so why confuse them with people like Derek Luke, Leonardo DiCaprio or Matt Damon.
Oh, and only some of the older people will be watching. The conservative elders will be boycotting Ellen for being gay (actually, I wonder if this choice is all an apology for Brokeback Mountain losing Best Picture last year).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-07-2006 @ 11:58PM
Gary Bourgeault (bizofshowbiz.com) said...
I have to say that this isn't anything that would even begin to encourage me to watch. It seems they could have at least tried to find somebody that is much more engaging and maybe draw some people that possibly are growing tired of the same old thing year after year.
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9-08-2006 @ 12:21AM
Caitlin said...
I happen to find Ellen's sense of humor very refreshing and funny, and I'm 18. I'm not sure how well she'll do at the Oscars, though; other than the opening monologue, there's not much room during the show for the host to really shine. All that's really asked of her is to provide transitions between each award presentation. There's not very much chance for golden comedy there.
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9-08-2006 @ 1:26AM
matthew m. barnes said...
are you kidding? as someone who is under 30, loves movies and the Academy Awards (most of the time), i can say that Ellen is freakin' hilarious and i'm stoked that she's hosting.
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9-08-2006 @ 12:23AM
Ryan said...
I'm 21 and I *LOVE* Ellen. Just sayin.
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9-08-2006 @ 12:32AM
Dorsey said...
This will be another year of me skipping the Oscars. I only watch when the host is intreaguing. This past year I watched, only because of the host. Hell, I watched the Emmy's this year just because of the host. Now days, I'd rather check online to see who won rathern then sit around for 3 hours.
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9-08-2006 @ 9:20AM
bendi said...
I've gotta toss out another vote for Ellen. I'm under 30 and I think she's almost always funny.
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9-08-2006 @ 1:49AM
Rebecca said...
I'm 18 and I love Ellen as well. Instead of generalizing on a very broad and diverse age group, maybe you should stick to saying that YOU dislike Ellen for so-and-so reasons, which you unsurprisingly neglected to mention.
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9-08-2006 @ 2:42AM
Ash said...
This is the end of televised Academy Awards as we know it.
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9-08-2006 @ 2:49AM
bgdc said...
I've seen ellen do her stuff for well over 10 years. She's never been funny, edgy or original. Her following is as mystifying as Rosie and Oprah's.
Now Stewart, he was damn funny. Guess they don't like comedy or brains at the Oscars. Best line of last year: "Walk the Line or Ray with white people."
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9-08-2006 @ 7:04AM
count meunimpressed said...
ZZZZZZZZZZ....
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9-08-2006 @ 9:53AM
Elliott said...
Just want to toss out another thumbs up for Ellen from the under 25 crowd. She was, afterall, the best part of Finding Nemo. Her silly puns, friendly personality, and contemporary hipness remind me of my mom. That's probably why I like her so much.
Jon Stewart was my favorite though and here are some reasons why:
"Good evening, everyone. Ladies, gentlemen, uh, Felicity."
"Tonight is the night we celebrate excellence in film, with me, the fourth male lead in Death to Smoochie. Rent it."
"Right now around the world we are being watched by hundreds of millions of people, nearly half of whom are in the process of being adopted by Angelina Jolie"
"The Oscars is really, I guess, the one night of the year you can see all your favorite stars without having to donate any money to the Democratic party. And it's exciting for the stars as well, it's the first time many of you have ever voted for a winner."
"Capote of course addressed very similar themes to Good Night and Good Luck. Both films are about determined journalists defying obstacles in a relentless pursuit of the truth. Needless to say both are period pieces."
"I do have some sad news to report. Bjork couldn't be here tonight. She was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."
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9-08-2006 @ 10:04AM
chet! said...
Also under 30 and love ellen. She is hilarious and I think she'll do great (and I don't think her humor is that much different than Stewart's or Conan's.) And when did Conan host the Oscars? Or do you mean Stewart?
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9-08-2006 @ 10:32AM
Caleb said...
Just because you don't like Ellen, doesn't mean that other people under 30 don't. I'm 20, and I find her to be hilarious. I'd find it interesting to know where you got your little theory from.
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9-08-2006 @ 10:49AM
Sam said...
It's not that I don't think Ellen would make a good host. She's funny, smart and talented. But I do wish Jon Stewart could have gotten another crack at it. This is the second time in recent years that the Academy has ran with its tail between its legs at the first sign of any negative thoughts toward the host (Chris Rock being the other time), even when most of the public seems to think they did a pretty good job of it.
I'm disappointed that he won't get another shot.
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9-08-2006 @ 3:21PM
Jack said...
And Jon Stewart SUCKED...I'm sorry, but seriously, Ellen is going to be 10X better.. THATS IT!
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9-08-2006 @ 3:42PM
Matt said...
Yeah, the Academy is really skewing older. I mean, an old, shriveled-up crone like Ellen (49) instead of those young upstart whippersnappers Chris Rock (42) or Jon Stewart (45)? What could they be thinking?
And I'm sure those people who were tolerant of a black host and a Jewish host will be turning away in droves because of a (gasp) lesbian.
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9-12-2006 @ 3:37PM
Etana said...
I must say that, as a young person, I am okay with the choice of Ellen for the Oscars. While she, most definatly, will not be as funny as Jon (but really...who could be?), she seems to be a choice that will appeal to many.
However, I do have to wonder...does the academy KNOW that she is gay? Or does she appeal to so many demographics that they just figured that she is straight.
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9-08-2006 @ 9:11PM
rocko said...
Nobody remembered when Ellen hosted the emmys (i dont know, it was an award show) and she sucked major dong?? She would come out to introduce people holding the most random crap and not even making the tiniest joke. Lame.
Somebody get Conan in for the Oscars, there, there's your headline, first man to host emmys and oscar in less than 12 months. Somebody give me a medal for my awesomeness.
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9-09-2006 @ 11:09AM
Mary said...
Conan would be a good choice for host.
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5-03-2007 @ 6:00PM
xtina said...
I'm 15 years old and I absolutly love Ellen and I think she is so much funnier than Dane Cook or any other comedic preformer. I think she'll do an amazing job hosting the 79th Academy Awards. Even though she is gay doesn't mean she will be a bad host. She may even poke fun of her sexuality as she has done in the past on her stand up. I think you should at least give her a chance,she is very refreshing and a lot better than Jon!! 10x better!!!!
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