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Jon Stewart set as host of Oscars: sources

By Gregg Kilday and Andrew Wallenstein

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - As the clock ticks ever closer to the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally found a host in Jon Stewart.

Sources confirmed Stewart's selection, which was reported Wednesday evening by the Los Angeles Times' Oscar watch site, http://www.theenvelope.latimes.com. An Academy spokesman declined comment.

The assignment would represent the first Oscar-hosting spot for Stewart, who headlines Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." Stewart does have black-tie experience, though, having hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.

Oscarcast producer Gil Cates' choice of a host had become the subject of mounting suspense in Hollywood. Chris Rock, last year's host, was not asked to reprise the role. Reportedly, Billy Crystal, who has hosted eight times, turned down the honor. Speculation also had centered on such other previous hosts as Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin.

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This looks good.

Charlie Goose

How mediocre.

Rather see Crystal or Martin. Heck, I'd rather see Triumph.

raven56706

Stewart is great.... glad to see him then freaking Crystal again....


would have rather had Chapelle

ryuryu2949

Anyone but Whoopi Goldberg .................................................................................................... ............................................................... for goodness sakes, ANYBODY but Whoopi-freakin-Goldberg .................................................................................................... .......................................... ("it was like throwing a hot dog into a hot dog bun the size of a hallway"- Ted Danson) .................................................................................................... ......................

TheMadMonk

I like Stewart, but the Oscars is such a self-congratulatory and overlong event that I can't think of anyone hosting it that would make me actually sit through it.

Giles

I generally like Stewart, but as host - hmmm, I don't know. His humour is kind of dry and sarcastic in nature.

TheMadMonk

Any guesses how long into the broadcast before he makes a self-deprecating remark about his acting ability/roles in Death to Smoochy +/or Half-Baked?

slop101

Maybe he'll bring his brand of acerbic cynicism that the Oscars need.

bboisvert

Eh, this could be decent. I'd prefer Crystal, but at least it isn't Whoopi. (And even Martin was pretty bland last time.)

Lara Means

Conan O'Brien needs to host this lame ass awards show.

Jackskeleton

I'm looking forward to seeing Stewart host it. Oh man, that's some fantastic news if you ask me.

Fielding Mellish

Can't wait to see his opening song-n-dance number.

slop101

You know what? He'll probably have to take a week off from The Daily Show in order to host - I'd rather have him stay on Daily Show for that week than host the Oscars.

IG80Nate

Does it really matter who hosts the oscars anymore?

It's always the same show these days. The host makes endless jokes about how lame and long the oscars are and the celebrities laugh, even though they clearly DO take the whole thing very seriously.

The only thing worse than the overbearing pomp and circumstance of the oscars is the failed attempt to make the show "casual." It's a bunch of rich people allowing us to watch them pat each other on the back and that's all it'll ever be.

I love steak but I don't watch the "Butcher of the Year" awards, so why should I bother watching the oscars?

Matthew Chmiel

Chappelle would probably be banned right after his opening if we were ever to host the Oscars.

DGibFen

Or "disappear" halfway through the show.

Aphex Twin

I wanted Larry David

Drexl

Yeah, but then you could finish the show on your own.

lamphorn

I'd much much rather have Steve Martin back. That was an inspired pick. But maybe Tina Fey would be good.

leepyswetr

In this respect, Jon Stewart is an inspired pick.

wm lopez

They tried to get the MTV crowd with Chris Rock last and I'm sure his making fun of Jude Law didn't sit to well with the Academy or the ratings the show got.
So with Stewart their going after the collage frat boy crowd and I'm sure will get a FOXNEWS bashing joke and some Bush and Arnold jokes. But no jokes about any liberal Hollywood stars.

Mr. Salty

I guess you must have never seen Jon Stewart.

ChrisKnudsen

Am the only one that thought David Letterman was the best host for the Oscars? I would love to see Conan or Vince Vaughn to do it.

wetsprockets

I guess Stewart could be okay. I'm usually too busy yelling at my tv about who/what I think should have won instead of who/what actually won to notice the host.

Matthew Chmiel

The problem is that the Oscars want to be a "safe" award show. They don't want comedians coming on and doing their own thing. They want cheesy and corny jokes regarding films. Nothing that'll piss off people in the audience.

Letterman came on and did his own thing. While his own thing was hilarious, many didn't think so. Letterman is an aquired taste and his humor didn't click with people. The same problem would rise if O'Brien were to host the show.

Rock tried to play it safe, but a comedian like him can never play it safe without pissing a person off. I'm sure he pissed off his share of people in that room the night he hosted the Oscars.

I don't think Martin will come back either. He seemed to be taking low shots at people all night the last time he hosted (especially towards Tom Hanks and Russell Crowe). Don't forget, the year before that, he pissed off a few people with his, "And the loser is not" line before presenting an Oscar.

Stewart, I don't know yet. He can play it safe and it does help that 90% of Hollywood are liberals. His current-day liberal humor can fly with these folks and it'll be okay, but he'd be getting a reaming by those dipshits at Fox News the next day.