Dear Gossips,

Everything is coming up Pete Davidson. According to Page Six, “his people are talking to producers” about him being the host of the Oscars. Their source says that Miley Cyrus’s New Year’s Eve special, which she co-hosted with Pete, brought in decent ratings, and that Pete “gets a demographic that is hard to get [and is] in a good space, his career is doing well and he is on the rise. He is a sex symbol, unlikely, but he is big with a certain generation.”

Well clearly the source (is that you, Kris Jenner?) is a Pete advocate. But are they also trying to convince the Academy through the public? This kind of leak feels like a temperature check, because normally, if they’re sure about something, they’ll shut it down to protect the news, so that they can control the release of it. I’m not entirely convinced ABC, the network that airs the Oscars, would be all that comfortable with someone who’s closely aligned with another network. Miley and Pete made sense given her deal with NBCUniversal and Lorne Michaels producing and keeping it all in the NBC family. Not that this hurts the Academy, to generate intrigue and speculation about who the host might be and start building anticipation for the event. But at the same time, publicly auditioning the host isn’t really the Academy’s typical style. So I’m curious about the strategy here. And whether or not it’s intentional, the Academy and the Oscar producers out here all like, “it’s not going to be the same old Oscars!”

As for whether or not Pete would actually be a good host for the Oscars… I mean, I get it from the perspective of trying to attract a younger audience, with the Oscars trying to get down with TikTok. Let’s get the guy the kids think is cool! Sure, but it also has to be the right fit. Is the Pete Davidson brand of awkward misfit energy a right fit for an event like the Oscars? I’m not sold, but I may be in the minority because, as I’ve said before, I’m not obsessed with him – but I’m surrounded by people who are, so I get it. I get that he’s of the moment right now. It’s just… “of the moment” has never been the Oscars. Their whole thing is timelessness.

Also, maybe I’m just too enamoured by my own suggestion, Channing Tatum. But if it’s not Channing, why couldn’t it be Stanley Tucci? Remember the campaign a few years ago to have Stanley Tucci host the Oscars as Caesar Flickerman? That was a stunt, obviously, but Stanley Tucci as himself would be a GREAT host. Because he IS a great host! Who can make a great cocktail! He goes viral with his cocktails. Set up a bar on the stage, let him do his thing with a martini. And you know what? TikTokers know Stanley Tucci. They all know The Hunger Games. There’s a lot of Stanley Tucci thirst on social media. He is universally adored – both from the public and the celebrities at the Oscars. Stanley Tucci hits all demos.

To go back to Pete though? If he is the Oscars host, well then, you know his relationship with Kim Kardashian will last until at least the end of March.

Yours in gossip,

Lainey

Pete Davidson Gossip

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