Ben Stiller & Robert Downey Jr Turn Down Oscar Hosting Gig

COMMENTS (31)

• How many people have been offered the gig so far and said no? I’m available, in case no one else wants the job.

  Comment by Allison — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 8:57am PST  Reply to this post

• would have been a good duo. did they turn it down as a team or both on their own?

  ben stiller will do walmart shareholders’ meetings but not the oscars?

  Comment by wow — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:00am PST  Reply to this post

• That is a really great hosting idea. I can’t imagine in any world they would EVER do it…but I give them points for going out to them.

  Comment by lukeandlaura — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:10am PST  Reply to this post

• Tom Hanks.
  Make the show classy and nice.

  Comment by Lytton Strachey — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:10am PST  Reply to this post

• Looking to the Tropic Thunder team for a host is a good idea, but they clearly picked wrong. We all know who should – no -needs to be asked:

  Studio chief Less Grossman.

  Comment by Dan In NYC — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:16am PST  Reply to this post

• What a moronic idea.

  Comment by Burns & Allen — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:31am PST  Reply to this post

• How bout Jack Black and Will Ferrell? Both did 2 funny oscar bits together.

  Comment by cekma — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 9:55am PST  Reply to this post

• Why don’t they ask Whoopi Goldberg? I love her!

  Comment by Val — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 10:08am PST  Reply to this post

• Neil Patrick Harris should be considered for a hat trick (Tonys, Emmys and Oscars).

  Comment by Andre — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 10:25am PST  Reply to this post

• Why not try something new? How about Meryl Streep? She is very classy and funny. If they want some comedy bring in someone to do a monologue.

  Comment by J Toronto — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 10:37am PST  Reply to this post

• Why not try something new? How about Meryl Streep? She is very classy and funny. If they want some comedy bring in someone to do a monologue.

  Comment by J Toronto — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 10:37am PST  Reply to this post

• Conan (or NBC) should fight and/or find a way to get the low-rated ‘Tonight Show’ host in that role. He could capture new fans and remind old ones why he was so embraced by an entire generation on ‘Late Night’. My biggest fear, however, is that he’s already lost his ‘hip factor’ and long time fans aren’t interested. Otherwise, perhaps NPH needs to be called in to take over this show. The Oscars have always faired best when an entertaining personality combined with song/dance shtick is thrown into the mix. He loves hosting, and it could really become his ‘thing’. Last option? Throw enough money Larry and Jerry’s way to have ‘em host it together. Now THAT people would tune in to… though perhaps save that for the Emmy’s (but let’s be honest, they’d never do it anyway).

  Comment by Al — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 10:45am PST  Reply to this post

• Maybe Ben or Robert wants to host the Awards solo………..

  Comment by francine — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 11:00am PST  Reply to this post

• It’s unfortunate that the Academy Awards have become more like a replacement TV show, than an evening that celebrates “excellence’ in motion pictures. The primary concerns seem to be the ratings and the host. If there was more attention paid to films in general – with clips and montages – and less on glitzy dance numbers or insane “tributes” to nominees – then maybe the show itself would improve. Is the goal only to have big ratings? Then present it after an “American Idol” episode. If the goal is to promote films and note worthy ones, why the sideshow into a string of people who don’t want to host?

  Comment by Robert Harper — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 11:01am PST  Reply to this post

  • i couldn’t agree more. the fact that people don’t tune into the oscars has very little to do with the host. ask anyone on the street in a city other than los angeles and 9 out of 10 will have no clue who is hosting the show, but they will remember how bored they were with 4 hours of back-patting last year.

    the oscars is about the films. shortening the broadcast and having films nominated that people care about is the only way to regain an audience – NOT saying they should cater to an audience when selecting best pictures, but the fact remains most of the nominated films are only released in NYC or LA in order to make the cutoff for oscar nods.

    Comment by thank you — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 4:43pm PST  Reply to this post

• Thank god they passed!

  Comment by Sallyg — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 11:24am PST  Reply to this post

• Split the evening with the impressive/popular casts from “Precious,” “Goats,” “New Moon” and “Brothers.” And then all you need is a talking head to do the welcome.

  Comment by swf — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 11:27am PST  Reply to this post

• I never thought there would be a moment in my life that I would ever feel grateful towards Ben Stiller, and it just happened. So grateful he chose not to ruin the Oscars.

  Comment by S. — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 11:40am PST  Reply to this post

• I nominate Eddie Izzard–he’d bring a whole new twist on the Oscars.

  Comment by Frankie Foolheart — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 12:15pm PST  Reply to this post

  • OMG…..I love Eddie Izzard…He would be perfect.;)

    Comment by shyla — Thursday November 5, 2009 @ 12:47am PST  Reply to this post

• OPRAH should be the HOST.

  But Oprah doesn’t have as much international appeal as movie stars and hasn’t the whole thing become about getting a host who international countries will pony-up high licensing fees for. That is why
  Ricky Gervais got the Golden Globes gig- he’s an international name. (equals higher international licensing fees). That’s why Hugh Jackman got the Oscar gig last year (International Box Office star– which equalled licensing fees).

  Tom Hanks may have some international clout (giving it to Hanks is a safe route) or why not just give the hosting gig to TOM CRUISE. Like him or hate him, Cruise is still an international name that they
  will tune-in to watch in Russia, China, Japan, England, France, etc.

  Comment by dippydoo — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 12:15pm PST  Reply to this post

• Damnit–that would have been a really good combo. Ben Stiller & Jack Black have done some really funny segments on the Oscars in the past (the song “You’re Boring,” springs to mind.) And Downey is very, very quick.

  I am strongly in favor of the Oscars being hosted by a comedic team. If nothing’s happening, you’re not at the whims of the show–you have the other person to bounce off of and generate events.

  Comment by Greg — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 12:47pm PST  Reply to this post

• Can you say Neil Patrick Harris?

  Comment by DrKoob — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 1:16pm PST  Reply to this post

• The academy needs to go out and hire Tina Fey to host…..she would rock. Let her write the show as well.

  Comment by wally — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 1:43pm PST  Reply to this post

• Maybe they can ask Dr. Phil… after the ceremony is over, round about 1 or 2am, they can all have a hug.

  Comment by Huntley Brinkley — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 3:31pm PST  Reply to this post

• then again, I sorta enjoyed the show when Johnny Carson hosted about 25 years ago…

  Comment by Huntley Brinkley — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 3:33pm PST  Reply to this post

• too bad. Stiller would have been over the top and not funny. and R.D. Jr could have used the time to discuss how great he is.

  Comment by brett — Tuesday November 3, 2009 @ 4:28pm PST  Reply to this post