The challenges of hosting awards shows

Americans have some kind of perverse infatuation with movie awards shows. It’s hard to explain. We always watch them, regardless of whether we have even seen the films that are nominated. Most people don’t even seem to care about who wins the awards. The topic that gets the most discussion in the news is how well the host performed.

These award show hosts toe a very thin line. On one hand, they have to entertain the Hollywood community, which usually requires telling a bunch of completely inoffensive (and consequentially, unfunny) jokes, with the occasional pre-taped sketch thrown in. That may make the celebrities feel good about themselves, but it is rarely a recipe for great television viewing. The host that is more concerned with those viewing the ceremony than those attending is forced to use riskier humor, which inevitably upsets the celebrities and results in a lack of future invitations.

So which of these polar opposites is the correct approach for an award show host? Is his or her job to entertain and babysit actors, or to boost the ratings and cater to a television audience? Considering that the event is so widely publicized, it’s hard not to believe that it’s really meant for a television audience. Something that is only supposed to appeal to those who make films would not receive the kind of publicity that the Academy Awards receive. Also, there are so many ceremonies that could actually have some societal benefit that are difficult to come by compared to the Oscars. It’s easier to see an acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor than for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The most recent host to feel the anger of celebrities was Ricky Gervais. Gervais dared to make fun of the people in the audience, and even though he was often hilarious, his comments about Tom Cruise being a crazy person were just way too offensive. Apparently the only people who don’t think he was crazy were the people in the audience.

The fast approaching Academy Awards will take a different route; they will have two hosts this year, James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Both are excellent actors, but neither is really a comedian, and it’s hard to imagine either of them taking any chances at that ceremony. It’ll be 11 hours of charmingly boring banter. Perhaps Ricky Gervais will get drunk and crash the ceremony. I can only hope.