Move Back
![Horrible_Hosts]()
To be fair, hosting the Oscars is no easy task. A host has to come out with a mix of folksy good-humor, a dash of edginess, a sense of satire – and ultimately make everyone want to embrace him or her even after three-plus hours. Hugh Jackman rocked the house by adding a little slice of cheese in his duties last year – but he's out of the running for now, sorry to say. Still, he's a rare bird. Here are three otherwise talented comics, actors and talk show hosts who missed the mark over the years. -Randee Dawn (Photos: AP)![Jerry_Lewis_kjoiw]()
Hosted: 1956-57; 1959 On his third outing as host, Lewis (who shared duties in 1959 with Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Mort Sahl and Tony Randall) was faced with a problem – which really he couldn't be blamed for, but which wasn't handled exactly right. The show actually ended early – and with 20 minutes left to fill, he got everyone to sing "There's No Business Like Show Business" … over and over and over. The network finally got the message and ran a short film.![Liza_Minelli_kjwip]()
Hosted: 1983 After four blissful years with the uber-competent Johnny Carson hosting the show, producers brought on Minnelli with "Arthur" co-star Dudley Moore, plus Richard Pryor and Walter Matthau. While the others kept things at least moving, Minnelli remains best remembered for being both wooden and not quite all there at the same time. Needless to say, she hasn't been asked to repeat the appearance. (AP)![Chevy_Chase_wiepopw]()
Hosted: 1987-88 1988 was Chase's first solo outing as host (he'd stood up with Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan – of "Crocodile Dundee" – in 1987), which proved he worked better in a group. He missed the mark, referring to "Hollywood phonies" and began rooting in his nose while onstage. Thus began the era of Chase not being funny. (AP)![Whoopi_Goldberg_werwr]()
Hosted: 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002 Audiences also had a love/hate relationship with Goldberg, who was flashy, trashy and seemed to turn the show into a "what will she do/say next" piece of performance art. A good host keeps the motor running without ever reminding everyone she's in the driver's seat – and Goldberg kept gunning the motors. Still, she's one of the few on this list who could, in theory, be asked back again. (AP)![David_Letterman_werwqqq]()
Hosted: 1995 "Late Show" fans generally approved, but the truth is that not everyone gets David Letterman's unique, acerbic sense of humor. His "Oprah … Uma" "introduction" was hilarious to him, but not nearly so funny to the ladies involved and he clearly felt intimidated by the new stage he'd been asked to command. A rare black mark for a usually spot-on funnyman. (AP)![Steve_Martin_werwxd]()
Hosted: 2001, 2003, 2010 He's back! And that's either deeply irritating to those who can't stand Steve Martin's self-effacing, Dadaesque sense of humor, or delight at the return of the Wild and Crazy Guy Who Plays Banjo In His Spare Time. His first go-around came after several years of seminal host Billy Crystal and Goldberg, and he had a hard time finding his rhythm. When he signed on again in 2003, he told the press, "I'm very pleased to be hosting the Oscars again because fear and nausea always make me lose weight." (AP)![Chris_Rock_werwe]()
Hosted: 2005 Rock doesn't pull punches, and unfortunately on Oscar night that's exactly what he should have done. Instead, he threw haymaker after uppercut – and the audience of celebrities and nominees weren't catching his drift. He took a particular jab at Jude Law (for apparently being in too many recent films) and used film clips to emphasize that Oscar was obsolete. (AP)![Jon_Stewart_jsdohuio]()
Hosted: 2006, 2008 Beloved for his "The Daily Show" shtick, the Oscar stage seemed a natural for Stewart – but in 2008, with only 11 days to pull together his routine after the writers strike ended, making this work was beyond even his sharp sensibilities. Time to face facts: East Coast comedy doesn't play well in La-La Land. As Stewart told Letterman in March 2009 during a "Late Show" appearance, "The problem with having us host it, if I may, is that at some level, deep in our hearts, we think it's stupid." Letterman agreed. (AP)![No One]()
Hosted: 1948, 1969-71, 1989 A bad or inappropriate host – even one who picks his nose; we're thinking of you, Chevy Chase – is better than nobody up front. No hosts, or some kind of random collection of presenters, is considered fresh thinking by producers who have apparently never worked on an Oscar telecasts before – you need a leader here, if not at all awards shows. In 1971, they actually had 33 co-hosts, we kid you not. So whatever happens on March 7, remember – Baldwin and Martin are not as bad as it could be. (AP)![Honorable Mention: Tom Cruise]()
Opening Presenter: 2002 Okay, he never hosted the Oscars, but on the same historic night that Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to take home a Best Actress Award, Cruise had us all throwing up in our mouths just a little with his opening speech, where he asked, "Should we celebrate the joy and magic movies bring? Dare I say it? More than ever." Okay, maybe he didn't write it, but he said it! (AP)10 Worst Oscar Hosts (Plus One Honorable Mention)
Which stars bombed at the Academy Awards?
Move Forward
- 10 Worst Oscar Hosts (Plus One Honorable Mention)
