While by no means a disaster, Neil Patrick Harris’ first time at bat as host of the Oscars could definitely have gone better. His sly charisma and singing chops carried the show throughout patches — particularly throughout the beginning — but limp writing and lack of productive ideas made the awards show feel slight and forgettable at best.
Perhaps Harris tried to channel the affable demeanor of Oscar hosting legend Billy Crystal too much? Maybe he had clever ideas, but the censors wanted a tamer show? Maybe, just maybe, he was in over his head for once? It’s hard to tell what happens behind the scenes at the Academy Awards, but one thing is for certain: the Oscars, if they really want to please everyone for once, need a shake-up.
That’s right. No more pointless musical numbers. No more patting out the running time by celebrating movies of the past. No more over glamorized back-patting. It’s time to trim the fat. The Oscars need to get a host who’ll push the boundaries a little bit, and, more importantly, keep the show afloat.
So as the producers gear up to pick whoever they decide will host next year’s festivities, here are some picks for your consideration. Granted, these people may not all say yes (even though some have already expressed publicly their desire to host the show) but they would all most definitely give the show a run for its money at least. Best of all, these picks come free of charge. No need to spend hundreds of thousands of bucks placing ads in Vanity Fair. No, no, these come free of charge. Enjoy.
Also, here are some honorable mentions: James Corden, Amy Schumer, Betty White, Hugh Jackman (for a second time), The Rock, Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock (for a second time), Robert Downey, Jr.
Image courtesy of William Bernard/ACE/INFphoto.com
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15. Tig Notaro
Tig Notaro, to be sure, is not necessarily a household name. But her brave, honest stand-up has gotten her at lot of consideration and praise of late, and a documentary about her life, Tig, just premiered to fairly strong remarks at Sundance this January. She’d be a more fearless and self-effacing comedian than Ellen was two years ago, and would definitely leave some shocking remarks.
While this choice may seem out of the blue, she is getting a decent amount of consideration for the job in the online community. Notably because Tig herself posted an article on her blog expressing her desire to host the show next year. It’s the kind of out-of-left-field choice that could produce some great results, and may just be the kick in the pants the Oscars need.
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14. Conan O’Brien
With a loyal fanbase and a likably down-to-Earth persona that’s not forced or cutesy, Conan O'Brien also has the energy and charisma to take the stage and nail it. He has some great interview chops, and knows how to get his celebrity friends to loosen up — something that’s very much needed when the stress of winning an Oscar looms over your head. Plus, his years of talk show hosting prove he has clever, dynamic ideas wacky enough to work and original enough to keep audiences, both at home and in the audience, engaged and guessing.
Granted, hiring a talk show host to reign the Oscars have, naturally, produced mixed results over the years. Jon Stewart was fine, if forgettable, while people still give David Letterman bad talk about his hosting duties, including Letterman himself. So while this may be a gamble, one would have to believe Conan has more up his sleeves than comparing Uma Thurman and Oprah Winfrey.
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13. Amy Adams
A natural talent, Amy Adams can be funny, serious, energetic, down key and can belt a tune or two with ease. She’s been an award favorite for years too — even though she has no Oscar to her name just yet — which could also give her some funny and engaging insight into the Oscar race and what's at stake. Her voice and skills would be a lively and likable centerpiece for the show that is about giving awards to the most likable and lively centerpieces of that year in film.
However, her lack of experience in hosting could certainly hinder her performance. Even though she has good comedic chops, it’s not like she’s known as a great stand-up. It is possible, though, she has what it takes, but her being unproven in this regard make be a fantastic surprise or a great blunder. It’s hard to tell with these things, but one would have to believe Adams would give the Oscars the entertainment and gravitas it deserves in equal measures.
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12. Patton Oswalt
Not only a fantastic stand-up comedian and pop culture enthusiast, Patton Oswalt also is a huge film fan, and his love of the art and craft of movie-making is no secret for anyone who listens to his stage work and interviews. He’s a passionate, heartfelt voice who loves the works at stake at the Oscars and also knows a lot about genres and films ignored frequently at these things — the latter being something which could lead to some completely fantastic material.
Granted, Oswalt’s sets are darker and edgier than your average Oscar host’s most risky-taking material. To have him at the helm would certainly give the Oscars a punch in the gut and the censors something to watch for, but he’s restrained and thoughtful enough to know what he can and can’t get away with. As an outsider looking in, though, he'd give the bright shinny celebrities faces in the crowd a raw and vivacious voice they wouldn't forget easily.
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11. Key & Peele
Quite possibly the most beloved comedy duo of the moment, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, of Key & Peele, are two of the most high-strung, pulsating comedic forces working in Hollywood today. Their hit Comedy Central program is a well-earned success for the comedians, and both will make their way to the silver screen in lead roles throughout the next couple years.
While it’s safe to say those films will not get Best Picture nominations — no matter how good or bad they end up becoming — why not let the Oscar voters know who’ll be headlining the next bunch of comedies for the next couple years? As seen in their in-between segments on the show, Key & Peele have a great rapport with audiences no matter who they are, and they can make gold out of pieces of string like it’s nobodies’ business. Considering how weaker the material at hand usually is for Oscar hosts, these are definitely the effortless comedic skills the Oscars need to champion upon immediately.
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10. Stephen Colbert
A beloved pop culture figure in every sense of the word, while Stephen Colbert is moving his talents from The Colbert Report to The Late Show this year, why should that stop him from transitioning to the host of the Oscars as well? He’s a charming, naturally funny comedian, with great improv skills and a way with words with his guests that’s refreshingly honest and continuously funny.
He’d make a natural host. Even if his signature Comedy Central character not in the forefront, Colbert has proven for years that he can be as gifted and funny as his American-loving counterpart. He may not be the world’s lead expert in films, but he knows a thing or two about them and their surrounding people, and it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t make for a great frontrunner for the awards program.
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9. Andy Samberg and/or The Lonely Island
If the Oscars this year proved anything, it’s that the Lonely Island know how to shake up the Oscars. For the better, that is. Just when the show took a nose-dive in the comedy department, Samberg and his crew joined Tegan and Sara in a fun, highly watchable rendition of “Everything is Awesome” and produced what was possibly the night's biggest highlight.
It was everything the Oscars haven’t been in years: pulpy, heartfelt, lively and thunderously entertaining. It was like a rollercoaster of excitement and wonder, and you could tell from the audience’s reaction they ate it up in spades. It didn’t hurt people handed them Lego Oscars left-and-right, though. Based on their work together and separately, it’s easy to see there's a new-age wit to both Samberg and his Lonely Island buddies that's fun and continuously surprising, and they would definitely proved some catchy and show-stopping numbers to boot. Before their collective big-screen movie comes to screens everywhere, let them show the Oscars, once again, how it’s done.
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8. John Oliver
While general audiences didn’t quite understand the full range of John Oliver’s comedic potential until he hosted The Daily Show for a summer and got his own talk show Last Week Tonight on HBO, people get the message now, and his ball-busting and quick-witted comedic skills have let him get both social media and tube-watching attention. So much so that HBO has renewed his program all the way through 2017.
With that, his classy but unforgiving sense of humor would be a fantastic addition to the Oscars. While he’d have to keep his language in check, his off-the-cuff brand of humor is both highly affable and likable in a very every-man sort-of-way. There’s something about Oliver’s approach that's both refreshing and honest in a way few comedians are today. While his topic of choice is politics, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have something sharp to say about the Oscars and the movie-making process.
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7. Josh Gad
While people may know him best, still, as the voice of Olaf in Frozen, Josh Gad is something of a household name now, and for good reason. He’s funny, sincere, sweet and knows how to sing to boot. He’s got all the qualifications needed to host the Oscars in the bag, and if the producers let him take the job, he could command the Oscars gig like none other.
While he may be a tad too in-demand at the moment to make this happen this year, he should definitely be considered in the years to come. He’s got a demeanor and flair to him that’s perfect for the gig, and it’s hard to believe he’d botch the job up completely.
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6. Craig Ferguson
When Craig Ferguson put aside his duties hosting The Late Late Show this December, the Scotsman gave himself more time to breathe than every before. With that, why not have him take some of that free time and use it to host the Oscars? As anyone whose watched his now defunct TV show knows, he’s got a great, easeful charisma, and can make a mountain out of an anthill in the comedy department with grace and charm.
Seriously. As his show went on, he worked almost completely without material and nailed it completely. With that in mind, he won’t be too far off from what he’d be given if he hosted the Academy Awards. At the very least, it would be a joy and a half to see Geoff Peterson and Secretariat at the biggest movie awards ceremony of the year. They probably wouldn’t get the invite, but how great would it be to see those cronies welcome a robot skeleton and men in horse suits onto their prestigious stage?
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5. Emma Stone
Movie-star beautiful, but down-to-earth, Academy Award-nominated, but your average girl next door, Emma Stone has a wonderfully unusual quality to her which makes her seem likable in both a glamorous and approach manner. She’s got a great ear for comedy too, and knows how to banter with celebrities and movie stars like no one else.
She’s demonstrated in brief segments introducing awards in the past that she can keep the volume of the show up. So why not just let her take over the show entirely? She’s got the grace and skill to pull it off, and she’s humble enough to make it seem effortless and breezy. She is a popular name and one who has earned her A-list status, so why not use that to its full potential?
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4. Jimmy Kimmel
Granted, if Jimmy Kimmel were to host to Oscars, they would have to sacrifice their post-Oscar Jimmy Kimmel Live special Sunday episode with celebrities galore and their comedy antics. But, at this point, it may be worth it. Kimmel, already one of the longest-lasting late show hosts on basic cable television at the moment, has a great demeanor with celebrities and knows how to loosen even some of the stiffest acting forces for the sake of a joke.
He’s got — much like a number of people on this list — an everyman charm and a good sense of humor about not only himself but also his position in Hollywood. He could bring these bigwig celebrities down a peg or two, but do so with charm and wit and make sure to include himself in on the gag. He’s proven in other awards ceremonies that he has it in the bag, too. Especially considering he’s got good marks over at ABC anyway, the channel that hosted the Oscars for the past who-knows-how-many-years, it would be a natural, and smart, pick.
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3. Louis C.K.
Quite possibly the most popular and respected comedian working today, Louis C.K. is beloved by audiences young and old, but his “I-don’t-give-a-s**t” attitude could make for a naturally entertaining and envelope-pushing program of television. He knows how to keep audiences guessing, while also being humble and thoughtful when need be. He may not be a great musician or the world’s most lovely banter buddy, but it’s safe to say he could host this movie awards show with wisdom and hutzpa.
It would not only bring in a ton of viewers, but give the Oscars the edgy shake-up it so desperately needs right now. C.K. is one of the most self-effacing and deepest comedians in the business right now, and his brand of humor should be popularized by the Academy if they know what’s right for them. Even if it is just a bunch of jokes about being middle-aged and fat and having two kids, it’ll be better than Ellen DeGeneres.
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2. Ricky Gervais
In my opinion the best awards show host of the past decade, Ricky Gervais was a earthquake of comedy at the Golden Globes when he hosted them. He may have been too mean for some. But hey, maybe they just need to suck it up? He knows what he’s doing, and if you're for the joke or not, he’s going to keep it going regardless.
This is something the Oscars so desperately need right now. They need someone to make fun of them and have that voice at home come on stage and make fun of it. That is what made Gervais such a great host. He was hilarious, but he was hilarious in a way these awards hosts never are. Plus, hee definitely has a sense of humor about himself that would keep himself in check as well. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a call, Academy. How great would have this year’s awards have been if Gervais spend at least three minutes making fun of American Sniper?
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1. Anna Kendrick
There was word before this year’s Oscars that Anna Kendrick was who the Academy had in mind to host the Oscars in 2016. Her performance during this year’s opening song was supposed to be her test. If this year’s awards taught us anything (other than The Lonely Island should host the Oscars, of course), it’s that Kendrick can host the show with no qualms at all. She’s an audience favorite, she can sing, she’s finally, she’s relatable, she’s sincere and she’s as sweet as can be, but proves countless times she tucks in a raunchy side which isn’t afraid to come out when necessary.
She also has creditability in both mainstream and indie affairs. This balance could lead to some great material, especially if one of her upcoming movies gets nominated for an Oscar (but don’t bet on that one being Pitch Perfect 2). When she came on stage this year it all felt right, and she can keep the show going with aplomb. She’s absolutely a perfect host at the moment, and if she hasn’t gotten a call yet, they should remedy that immediately.