Eddie Murphy to Host Oscar Broadcast (NOT)

[orbitz]

Don't worry. Eddie will be on his best behaviors to apologize for "Norbit".

[KikiSashaFan]

Don't worry. Eddie will be on his best behaviors to apologize for "Norbit".

Hey, it was still an Oscar nominee

[LuckyCharm]

I'm not sure this is a good idea. Eddie has done some pretty edgy routines in the past when he did stand-up, and IIRC also has something of a diva reputation. It might get ugly if he wants to do stuff that the producers or writers think is too "out there" for the Oscars....

That was young Eddie. Middle-aged Eddie plays the dad in Disney movies.

[victoriaheidi]

Wait, isn't Eddie Murphy the one who walked out when he lost a few years back?

[FiveRinger]

That was young Eddie. Middle-aged Eddie plays the dad in Disney movies.

Yes, he has really mellowed out since he has had children.
I will tune in just to see. I think that EM has earned a shot to emcee and I wish him the best of luck.

[krisfelix]

Wow, I forgot he existed. The last I heard about him was when he had the run in with the policy over the …er… lady of the night.

[Jenny]

Looking back, I thought Bob Hope was awful, with his cornball jokes.

Agree - he was on tv a lot when I was young, and I always found his humour rather obvious and generic.

[Rex]

Agree - he was on tv a lot when I was young, and I always found his humour rather obvious and generic.

Yeah, he was a total cornball. Same with his movies and specials.

[Nan]

Yeah, he was a total cornball. Same with his movies and specials.

That's what made him so popular. Everyone in the 1950's was a little cornball.

[Rex]

That's what made him so popular. Everyone in the 1950's was a little cornball.

Hmph. He carried it even into the 80s.

[Nan]

Hmph. He carried it even into the 80s.

The same people were still laughing at him.

[triple_toe]

There have been far too many "experiments" over the past ~15 years ... falling flat with too deadpan Letterman, too hateful Whoopi, too smug and referential Jon Stewart, and of course this year's underbaked duo.

Err... underbaked is not how I would have described James Franco at the Oscars. Quite the opposite in fact

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I think the problem with the Oscar telecast is that they want the show to be more relevant and "hip" but they have all these restrictions that end up sanitizing the host, so it almost doesn't matter who hosts. I remember how disappointed most people were when Chris Rock and Jon Stewart hosted because they obviously had to hold back on their biting humor. The first step is for the producers to step back (within reason) and allow the host to be himself/herself.

Despite thinking he's a hack of a director, I can see Brett Ratner allowing the Oscar telecast to be a bit...raunchier. I'm sure the Oscar telecast producers are willing to gamble with someone controversial put up with a few complaints about inappropriate behavior shown on television because that means the show would be somewhat entertaining and worthy morning-after conversation. It still boggles the mind how a show rewarding what is arguably the best in Hollywood entertainment can't seem to entertain people.

[soxxy]

Eddie Murphy withdraws as Oscar host.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/11/osca...medium=twitter

LOS ANGELES — Eddie Murphy is dropping out as the host of the Oscars telecast, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the show’s producer, Brett Ratner, stepped aside amid a storm of criticism over his use of an anti-gay slur. .

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/mo...t.html?_r=1&hp

[OliviaPug]

I vote for Hugh Jackman. He is so extraordinarily talented and funny and versatile.

O-

[soxxy]

I vote for Hugh Jackman. He is so extraordinarily talented and funny and versatile.

O-

Hugh's booked through January 1 on Broadway.....not sure when Les Miz begins filming.

(Hugh signing autographs at the stage door, so hot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhuiaTRGZkk)

[orbitz]

NPH, get your tux ready

[OliviaPug]

Hugh's booked through January 1 on Broadway.....not sure when Les Miz begins filming.

(Hugh signing autographs at the stage door, so hot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhuiaTRGZkk)

Oh well.

Thanks for the link ... he is hot!

O-

[overedge]

I don't know what kind of production agreements the previous hosts had, but if Murphy was apparently only willing to work with one director and no one else, that probably wouldn't have resulted in a good show. It could have deteriorated into host + director vs. everyone else.

It also looked like the Oscar gig was being positioned as part of his career-rebuilding comeback, so withdrawing from it may not be helpful to him in the future.

[genevieve]

I'm bummed.