Horray for young Hollywood
When Steve Martin introduced two young actors to present an award at last year's Oscars, he joked with fellow co-host Alec Baldwin that they were two fresh faces to motion pictures "who have never heard of us."
Little did Martin know then that he set the stage for the next Oscar show.
The next Acadamy Awards will be co-hosted by two "hot" young Holywood actors, James Franco and Anne Hathaway.
You might be saying, sure they can act, but can they pull off hosting duties at the Oscars?
This ain't the MTV Movie Awards, Spidey-man.
Hosting duties at the Oscars usually goes to a veteran comedian --- or an actor or actress who has made a name in movie comedies. Sometimes TV comics get the gig, like the late Johnny Carson and, not so successfully, David Letterman and Jon Stewart.
Franco and Hathaway have both done comedies, but they are probably better known for their dramatic performances.
How they will handle the opening monologue may be their biggest obstacle. Noted comedians get the best writers to toss a lot of zingers and "in" jokes, but it's up to the comics to hit the home run.
The jokes are going to be there: Whatever latest controversy is in the news will be a target, as well as some of the nominees and movies. But having a good joke delivered by Franco won't have nearly the same effect as Billy Crystal letting loose with the same punchline.
Still, there will be plenty enough male genitalia and male-bashing jokes for Hathaway --- who has done more than her fair share of rom-coms --- to deliver successfully.
And there will be plently of gay-friendly jokes for Franco to deliver.
It will be just like they were both hosting "Saturday Night Live" ---- only diff is the show will be a couple of hours longer.
Question does remain, though ---- are Hathaway and Franco big enough names to host the Oscars? Could there have been other younger stars with more cache who could've been tapped?
Somewhere Justin Timberlake is throwing a hissy fit.
Hopefully Hathaway and Franco will do a good job. Doesn't matter, the following year's Oscar ceremony won't have old fogeys like them --- by then the hosts will probably be Dakota Fanning and Miley Cyrus.
Having said that, it will be interesting to see how young Hollywood will do ---- because this is not going to be your father's Oscar show next year.
So tune in, you may see some such entertainment as:
1. The three young stars from the "Harry Potter" series will get a standing O after they perform a feat of magic and make categories like documentary and short subject features disappear from the broadcast.
2. Justin Bieber will sing all of the five nominated best songs, while Cher, Susan Sarandon and Demi Moore chase him around the stage.
3. Speaking of cougars, one of the tributes will be to those fine ladies: Actresses who were "hot" in the '70s and '80s and had strong female roles but can now only get work trying their best to put still another spin on the (never seems to be archaic) Mrs. Robinson character.
4. Bristol Palin and The Situation will perform dance numbers to all five nominated movie music scores.
5. Snooki will present the Oscar for best picture.
6. A one-time only special Oscar to the film critic who has gone the longest without mentioning in his reviews that a film was "the feel-good movie of the year" or a comedy was "laugh out-loud funny!"
7. The First Annual Jodie Foster Lifetime Achievement Award ---- presented to a child actor or actress who has made the successful transition from child actor to age 21 and adult actor without having to go through drug and alcohol rehab. Lindsay Lohan will present the award via satellite from either a jail cell or a rubber room.
8. During the 'In Memorium' segment of the show, director gets shots of young Hollywood in the audience with blank looks on their faces because they realize they have no idea who those famous people were who died in the year since the last Oscar telecast.
9. During TV time out for commercials, "Jackass" pranks played on Lifetime Achievement Award winner 90something-year-old actor Eli Wallach.
10. Price-Waterhouse under investigation after "Eat Pray Love" wins write-in vote for best picture.
Little did Martin know then that he set the stage for the next Oscar show.
The next Acadamy Awards will be co-hosted by two "hot" young Holywood actors, James Franco and Anne Hathaway.
You might be saying, sure they can act, but can they pull off hosting duties at the Oscars?
This ain't the MTV Movie Awards, Spidey-man.
Hosting duties at the Oscars usually goes to a veteran comedian --- or an actor or actress who has made a name in movie comedies. Sometimes TV comics get the gig, like the late Johnny Carson and, not so successfully, David Letterman and Jon Stewart.
Franco and Hathaway have both done comedies, but they are probably better known for their dramatic performances.
How they will handle the opening monologue may be their biggest obstacle. Noted comedians get the best writers to toss a lot of zingers and "in" jokes, but it's up to the comics to hit the home run.
The jokes are going to be there: Whatever latest controversy is in the news will be a target, as well as some of the nominees and movies. But having a good joke delivered by Franco won't have nearly the same effect as Billy Crystal letting loose with the same punchline.
Still, there will be plenty enough male genitalia and male-bashing jokes for Hathaway --- who has done more than her fair share of rom-coms --- to deliver successfully.
And there will be plently of gay-friendly jokes for Franco to deliver.
It will be just like they were both hosting "Saturday Night Live" ---- only diff is the show will be a couple of hours longer.
Question does remain, though ---- are Hathaway and Franco big enough names to host the Oscars? Could there have been other younger stars with more cache who could've been tapped?
Somewhere Justin Timberlake is throwing a hissy fit.
Hopefully Hathaway and Franco will do a good job. Doesn't matter, the following year's Oscar ceremony won't have old fogeys like them --- by then the hosts will probably be Dakota Fanning and Miley Cyrus.
Having said that, it will be interesting to see how young Hollywood will do ---- because this is not going to be your father's Oscar show next year.
So tune in, you may see some such entertainment as:
1. The three young stars from the "Harry Potter" series will get a standing O after they perform a feat of magic and make categories like documentary and short subject features disappear from the broadcast.
2. Justin Bieber will sing all of the five nominated best songs, while Cher, Susan Sarandon and Demi Moore chase him around the stage.
3. Speaking of cougars, one of the tributes will be to those fine ladies: Actresses who were "hot" in the '70s and '80s and had strong female roles but can now only get work trying their best to put still another spin on the (never seems to be archaic) Mrs. Robinson character.
4. Bristol Palin and The Situation will perform dance numbers to all five nominated movie music scores.
5. Snooki will present the Oscar for best picture.
6. A one-time only special Oscar to the film critic who has gone the longest without mentioning in his reviews that a film was "the feel-good movie of the year" or a comedy was "laugh out-loud funny!"
7. The First Annual Jodie Foster Lifetime Achievement Award ---- presented to a child actor or actress who has made the successful transition from child actor to age 21 and adult actor without having to go through drug and alcohol rehab. Lindsay Lohan will present the award via satellite from either a jail cell or a rubber room.
8. During the 'In Memorium' segment of the show, director gets shots of young Hollywood in the audience with blank looks on their faces because they realize they have no idea who those famous people were who died in the year since the last Oscar telecast.
9. During TV time out for commercials, "Jackass" pranks played on Lifetime Achievement Award winner 90something-year-old actor Eli Wallach.
10. Price-Waterhouse under investigation after "Eat Pray Love" wins write-in vote for best picture.
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