*UPDATED*Eddie Murphy To Host 84th Oscars — Page 2

What are the indicators that they are going 'the SNL route'? That they liked both Franco and Hathaway as SNL Hosts? It would help if they had those same writers instead of relying on Bruce Vilanch for 'edgy', 'young' humor. Those parodies at the beginning of the telecast have been around for years. There have been many former SNL cast members who have taken apart in the Oscars as hosts, or just great SNL hosts who have been Oscar hosts, but nothing that indicates it is an all-out shift in the telecast.

Brett Ratner is not exactly high-brow (and I am actually a bit of a hater of his work) but it is pretty insulting to say the Academy Awards, even with their ridiculousness, is close to what the MTV movie awards have become, which is essentially a Twlight vs. Harry Potter fan throwdown. The MTV movie awards in the 90s actually had some good taste and choices in Best Movies, arguably a good counterpoint to an Academy in love with Forrest Gump and the latest Merchant Ivory production.

And I'm confused, who were the 'middle road' hosts before Eddie Murphy? We just had the 'youth' co-hosts that followed a return to co-host format that actually dominated a lot of Oscars telecasts with Martin and Baldwin that went off like a lead balloon. Ellen was a pretty safe choice though not as safe as bringing back a Billy Crystal/Steve Martin/Whoopi. Chris Rock and Jon Stewart were pretty bold choices with varying degrees of success though I actually liked Chris Rock as a host more than the general public did. Who were the middle road choices in your opinion, CapnHook?

I'd like Steve Martin and Tina Fey.

Twenty years ago, maybe. Now, why?

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Just give the job to Billy Crystal or Tina Fey and call it a day. I can't imagine why Eddie Murphy would be considered a better choice unless the budget is smaller this year.

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Well, crap.

The Pawn Stars would have been better.

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I just think he's got the wrong personality for this. He can't "do" good-natured and even-keeled. And it's not "edgy" like Crystal or Goldberg. He's got a mean streak in him. Always, has, but it's gotten worse with age.

I predict right now that he'll either be deadpan unfunny with none of his jokes landing, or "full frontal" mean, getting boos from the audience.

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Updated On: 9/7/11 at 08:55 AM

Ugh. I lost interest in Eddie Murphy about 15 years ago.

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Brett Ratner is directing Eddie's new movie, so basically the Oscars will be a four-hour, worldwide infomercial about the forthcoming cinematic opus known as "Tower Heist."

I REALLY hate these blatant positionings and plugs. I hope some of the Academy voters complain. Enough already.

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Updated On: 9/7/11 at 11:07 AM

I want to do it with Brett Ratner. Sorry haters, but it's true.

"But...the movie comes out in November"

Which is why the host was announced now, instead of January like it usually is.

I don't really have an "aversion" to Murphy. I just find him an uninsteresting choice. Now, if David Spade were hosting, "aversion" would be the correct term. He disgusts me.

I could never do Brett Ratner. He looks so skeevey. Like someone trying to get me to buy a timeshare in Vegas then being verbally abusive for my not signing a contract in under 60 minutes.

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I think what would push me into aversion would be dual hosting by Andy Dick and Gilbert Gottfried.

His last good live-action film was "Dreamgirls." Since then he has not done a good live action film. When I was younger I thought he was terrific as the voice of Donkey in the "Shrek" series and the voice of Mushu in "Mulan." I still think he is great in those roles, but I really haven't been a fan of his recent work. I never went to see "Meet Dave" or "Imagine That" in theaters because they looked lame. I also had a bad experience watching "Norbit." I think that film cost him his Oscar because it was released around the time of the Oscar voting period and it left a bad taste in the voters mouth, so they went with Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine," who was terrific.