Things started bumpy for host Jon Stewart, whose first few gags fell decidedly flat. Things picked up when he noted that "Capote" and "Good Night, and Good Luck." both concerned crusading journalists in an impassioned search for the truth, adding, "Needless to say, both are period pieces." But the biggest laugh was at the expense of the eccentric pop singer who performed at the Oscars in a swan outfit: "Bjork could not be here tonight – she was trying on her Oscar dress, and Dick Cheney shot her." There were a lot of tight close-ups on Stewart than one ordinariliy sees on awards shows that felt oddly intimate and maybe a bit disorienting -- it was like they were trying to show the flop sweat.

George Clooney, Best Supporting Actor winner for "Syriana," had a better laughs-per-minute ratio: "All right, so this means I’m not winning (best) director," he said upon taking the stage.