At last, the Oscars have decided to have a host this year after three years of being host-less. Many great entertainers like Billy Crystal and Bob Hope have stepped up to the plate as well as some seemingly random hosts like Paul Hogan and Donald Duck. In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter went into depth on what makes the perfect Oscars host: name recognition, funny, topical, politically savvy, young, and “satisfactory to a coalition of competing interests.†The internet took it upon itself to nominate hosts for the 94th Academy Awards but do they fit the bill on what makes the perfect Oscars host?
Some of the picks were obvious given their popularity. Elmo and Rocco are among the front runners, but can they put their differences aside for the gig? Both have name recognition and are topical; Elmo and Rocco clips are all over Twitter and TikTok. They’re young (Elmo is three and a half years old), and it’s almost impossible not to love him (unless maybe you’re Rocco). They’re also politically savvy as their home on Sesame Street began on PBS. Another Muppet favorite is none other than The Muppets Show host Kermit the Frog. He has plenty of experience hosting and knows how to deal with the stars. Kermie checks all of the boxes, but will Miss Piggy let him host solo? Maybe if the Academy will let her sing a musical number, she will give her blessing.
In non-Muppet-related pitches, Tom Holland put himself in the ring and has reportedly been contacted by the Academy to discuss the possibility. The internet yes-and-ed that suggestion and requested the trio of Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, to co-host alongside Holland. Continuing on in the Marvel universe, Willem Dafoe has been nominated to be promoted to “Willem Dahost,†as suggested by West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler. There’s no host like Eric André, so of course, his name has also been thrown into the ring, especially after the internet suggested he take over The Ellen Show during the height of her talk-show scandal. All of these options have great potential, but one of the main issues with hosting the Oscars is that it is a “thankless†gig. They could do the best possible job hosting and it still might not be enough for audiences.
All roads lead to a Muppet host. The Muppets, either Elmo and Rocco or Kermit, are unapologetically themselves and have the experience for the job. But will the Oscars be brave enough to commit to a night of pure insanity and magic?