Since the last two telecasts of the Oscars essentially boiled down to “toked-up hipster douche stands around doing nothing while Anne Hathaway tries to salvage a sinking ship” and “Billy Crystal did blackface,” this story about Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars is … surprisingly a step in the right direction. From Deadline …
“We are thrilled to have Seth MacFarlane host the Oscars. His performing skills blend perfectly with our ideas for making the show entertaining and fresh,” said Zadan and Meron. “He will be the consummate host, and we are so happy to be working with him.”
“It’s truly an overwhelming privilege to be asked to host the Oscars,” said MacFarlane. “My thoughts upon hearing the news were, one, I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards set forth by my predecessors; and two, I hope they don’t find out I hosted the Charlie Sheen Roast.”
“Seth is unbelievably talented,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “We couldn’t be happier with the creative team we’ve assembled. With Craig, Neil, and now Seth, we’re off to a great start.”
On the plus side, Seth is a talented comedian, singer, and all-around entertainer, plus his ability to appeal to a younger demographic should help bring in more viewers. On the downside, if I know anything about Seth’s critics, look forward to a bunch of jerks on the web saying that the Oscars are a blatant rip-off of the Emmys and that it’s just a bunch of random cutaways that distract from the show.