The Oscars are six weeks away this Sunday. That’s not long. And there’s been all kinds of speculation about what they’re going to do about this host situation now that Kevin Hart has definitively said he won’t do it and remains in the headlines for how he’s going about explaining why he isn’t doing it and how mean everyone was to him. Poor Kevin Hart, you know? It’s been a month of this mess. And now Variety is reporting that the Academy isn’t going to bother with finding another host. There will be no host.
Producers will select a crop of A-listers to introduce various segments instead of relying on one marquee name to kick things off in a monologue filled with Trump zingers, said the insiders. The producers and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars, are scrambling to line up top talent needed to carry the telecast, which is just six weeks from airing live — on Feb. 24 — from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. Hand-wringing at the Academy has been palpable.
Barring an eleventh-hour pivot by the Academy — in the event that a superstar host materializes — the show producers are moving forward with a broadcast that will focus on starry skits and play up a high-profile year for music in film, thanks to likely nominees Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and Kendrick Lamar, one individual involved with the show said.
This may explain why the Academy was supposedly issuing ultimatums to stars about representing at the Golden Globes. If they’re relying more on presenters, they need it to be the freshest slate of presenters possible. What does “starry skits” mean? Is it going to be SNL at the Oscars? Is Jennifer Lawrence going to parody a scene from The Favourite?
I’m assuming Jennifer Lawrence is on the list. I feel like they’d want her there as part of their top tier talent showcase. Who else? How about Adele? Adele is an Oscar winner. And Adele is really judicious with her public appearances. If she steps out on that stage, it’ll generate for sure some social media activity, probably a lot of social media activity, especially if she’s paired with someone like Jennifer Lawrence (they’re friends). Or someone she can fangirl over. Adele is an excellent fangirl.
How about Adele and Angelina Jolie? Angelina attended a screening of Roma the other day in support of Alfonso Cuaron and Netflix. Her own film, First They Killed My Father, was a Netflix title last year with Oscar hopes, until it didn’t make the Best Foreign Film shortlist. A year later, could the Academy be coming back to Angelina for a favour?
Next, I’d be excited if they got Cameron Diaz to come out of retirement. Or all the Charlie’s Angels presenting together, Cameron, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore, along with the new Charlie’s Angels, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska. This is a genius idea, you’re welcome again, Academy. Hold up, why am I using so much of my creative energy here? It’s not like they’re paying me.
I’ll do one more – it’s the most obvious: Beyoncé, with Donald Glover. Early promotion for The Lion King. Probably would have happened anyway. And they’d either introduce Black Panther (Disney connection), as one of the nominees for Best Picture, and/or Kendrick Lamar and SZA for Best Song. That would depend, however, on Black Panther and the "All The Stars" being nominated. And, well, you know the Academy. They’ve tried to diversify the membership but those old fusty ass white men still have a lot of say. Never mind the hosting situation, if on January 22, there ends up being some f-cksh-t around the nominations, that’s another problem the Academy will have to handle.
But imagine it? Another angle to Beyoncé if you want to combine it with my Charlie’s Angels suggestion is… well… THIS THROWBACK. It’s Thursday, right?
