John Stewart ("The Daily Show") to host Oscars

[CelticSword]

This is taken from The Envelope section of the L.A. Times:
oscarbeat.latimes.com/awards_oscar/2006/01/ladies_and_gent.html

The long search for an Oscar host is over, with an official announcement from the academy expected to come early Thursday morning.

For the moment no one at AMPAS or involved with the production will confirm it–but according to three sources familiar with the process, the job of hosting the 78th Academy Awards will go to Jon Stewart, the Emmy-winning writer-host of “The Daily Show” and a host of the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002.

Times staff writers Scott Collins and John Horn report that Oscar show officials first approached Stewart shortly before Christmas. According to a source with first-hand knowledge of the situation, the deal was wrapped up in a flurry of activity a day or two before the holiday.

For the past couple of months, Oscar producer Gil Cates’ search for an emcee has sometimes seemed to belong under the “Daily Show”-style heading “Indecision 2005.” Last year’s host, Chris Rock, was not asked back; eight-time host Billy Crystal said he declined an invitation because of his busy schedule. Published reports claimed that negotiations were underway with Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin, though those were never confirmed.

The 43-year-old Stewart does not have an extensive movie career, an attribute Cates generally prefers in his hosts. Stewart has appeared in a handful of films, few of which were Oscar material: “Death to Smoochy,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and “The Office Party,” among others.

But the barbed political humor of his nightly show on Comedy Central figures to make Stewart a perfect fit for the Oscars, especially in a year when many contenders–including “Brokeback Mountain,” "Good Night, and Good Luck, " “Crash,” “Munich,” “Syriana” and “The Constant Gardener”–feature political and social themes.

Stewart will reportedly take at least a week off from “The Daily Show” to prepare for the Oscars, though hosts often spend far longer preparing for the task. Billy Crystal, in particular, often took a couple of months to plan, shoot and assemble his opening film and craft his song medley.

The new host will also use some of his own “Daily Show” writers to help with material. This is standard operating procedure at the Oscars, where the writing staff is usually divided into writers who work with the host and writers who work on everything else, with the occasional free agent (Bruce Vilanch comes to mind) moving between the two camps.

Stewart, who was born Jonathan Stewart Liebowitz, once told “60 Minutes” that he dropped the name Liebowitz because it “sounded too Hollywood.”

Sorry, Jon. Can’t get much more Hollywood than this new gig of yours.

John Stewart himself commented on the choice:
oscarbeat.latimes.com/awards_oscar/2006/01/the_academy_has.html

The academy has made it official: as we reported last night, Jon Stewart will host the 78th Oscar show. The best line from the press release comes, not surprisingly, from Stewart himself.

“‘As a performer, I’m truly honored to be hosting the show,’ said Stewart. ‘Although, as an avid watcher of the Oscars, I can’t help but be a little disappointed with the choice. It appears to be another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal.’”

John Stewart seems like an OK choice. He probably can’t do any worse than David Letterman, Chris Rock, or Whoopi Goldberg. We can probably expect a lot of political jokes.

 

[ProudArmyWife]

Personally, I don’t care for Jon Stewart - but I don’t care for the Oscars either, sooo…

But I think he will make a great fit with the many left-fielders in Hollywood and on the couches in America.

 

[Steph700]

I’m so excited, this guy is hilarious!!

 

[TPJCatholic]

Jon Stewart has had some very vile anti-Catholic segments on his show. He is also a stong hater of Bush and he makes that well known and we can guess that will come out during his hosting. He is an enemy of the faith and makes no pretense about that.

The fact that he is hosting the show, along with the clear adoration being given to Brokeback Mountain, will cause me to make sure that my family and I stay far away from the program.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

Have never watch the Oscars and this makes another reason not to watch them. Award shows are just below watching paint dry

PF

 

[Lucania]

There was a time, about 30 years ago when I wouldn’t have missed the Oscars. I have long since removed most of Hollywood from the “must see’s” of my life. I find the whole Hollywood genre tedious, morally bankrupt, self-centered and pretty disgusting for the most part. As far as Jon Stewart goes, he’ll fit right in as a host and the sarcasm will be overflowing.:yawn: :yawn:

 

[bones_IV]

TPJCatholic:

Jon Stewart has had some very vile anti-Catholic segments on his show. He is also a stong hater of Bush and he makes that well known and we can guess that will come out during his hosting. He is an enemy of the faith and makes no pretense about that.

The fact that he is hosting the show, along with the clear adoration being given to Brokeback Mountain, will cause me to make sure that my family and I stay far away from the program.

The same guy who made anti-Semitic remarks about Benedict XVI by calling him a KKK member. The Oscars as far as I’m concerned is a celebration of the whore of Babylon.

 

[Troy7]

I would like to correct something

1. Jon Stewart does not have vile anti catholic segments on his show. He has had satire for sure…but vile? Not even close, unless one gets upset about the church being picked on at all.
2. He’s my political hero of comedy! Looking forward to this!

 

[Island_Oak]

Well, so much for casual entertainment…and why are there visions of Dana Carey’s “Church Lady” dancing in my head?!?

I think John Stewart is hilarious. I watch his show as often as I can stay up for it. He is so on target with much of his political humor and if you can’t laugh at some of the train wrecks Washington, DC seems to provide us on a daily basis, I’m not sure how you get through your day. I’m not a huge fan of the Oscars–no big, impressive moral stance, it’s just too darn long to watch a parade of preening, self-important anorexics parade across a stage and my television screen. I can confess to getting a little weary of every film with a homo-erotic/criminal/depraved subplot getting slobbered over by the Academy. But I do always enjoy Joan Rivers recap of fashion disasters!!