All the talk about the announcement of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as next year’s Academy Award hosts has started me thinking: Who is the best Oscar emcee of the last decade? There have been seven: Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Hugh Jackman, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart. Below I list each year’s host and the ratings his or her telecast received. As you can see, Crystal boasts the two highest-rated shows, while Stewart pulls up the rear at No. 10. But is that simply a function of their skill and popularity? Or did Crystal luck out by hosting the year The Lord of the Rings won, while Stewart was saddled with the less-seen No Country for Old Men? Part of me thinks it’s more about the movies than the host. Steve Martin drew almost 10 million more viewers when the blockbuster Gladiator emerged victorious than when Chicago waltzed away with the prize. My hunch is that Crystal is the populist choice, and while his opening songs are always chuckle-worthy, I’ll take Martin’s deadpan style anyday.
2000 Billy Crystal (American Beauty); 46.3 million (#1)
2001 Steve Martin (Gladiator); 42.9 million (#3)
2002 Whoopi Goldberg (A Beautiful Mind); 41.8 million (#5)
2003 Steve Martin (Chicago); 33 million (#9)
2004 Billy Crystal (The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King); 43.5 million (#2)
2005 Chris Rock (Million Dollar Baby); 42.14 million (#4)
2006 Jon Stewart (Crash); 38.9 million (#7)
2007 Ellen DeGeneres (The Departed); 39.9 million (#6)
2008 Jon Stewart (No Country for Old Men); 32 million (#10)
2009 Hugh Jackman (Slumdog Millionaire); 36.3 million (#8)
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Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Jon was too smart for the Oscars; Chris was too constrained. Ellen was just riiiiight I think. Hugh Jackman – TOTALLY LAME. I still can’t understand why anyone likes that guy- substandard actor and I’ve seen better looking bank managers.
Whaaa???
I disagree with everything you said especially the Hugh Jackman part. He is my favorite host. My only complain was he was not did not appear enough. He was charming, funny and he is a true movie star. The opening number was gold.
Why mince words? The Oscars are just boring, period. Too long, too many unknown people/awards. The slight variation in viewership probably stems from what else was on.
I love Hugh Jackman. Sure he’s not the best looking guy in the world, but he is hot as Wolverine and is perfect for that role. That said, he was a terrible host for the Oscars, but that’s not his fault. The Oscar people wanted him to bring his Tony schtick to their ceremony, but Hollywood and Broadway are totally different animals. He was wrong for the Oscars because unless it’s Billy Crystal, we really don’t want too much singing from the Oscar host.
You are totally wrong in this. Broadway and Hollywood are very connected. Many hollywood actors are on Broadway and vice-versa. Musicals and music generally are part of movies since the beginning. That someone like Stewart talks more about politics than movies, that is wrong. I loved Jackman as host and I hope he will be back. I´ll take him over any TV comedian every day. But I am glad he isn´t hosting this time – he is a fantastic actor who needs to do movies and actually WIN some Oscar, not to just host it.
Ellen was great. I still laugh when I think of her taking the MySpace pic with Clint Eastwood and Martin Scoresese.
I really think the only reason Jon Stewart was last was because of the writers strike. He was really funny and smart as the host, but I guess people would rather see musical performances that drag on way to long?
Stewart got hit hard by the writer’s strike. He did a joke during the ceremony about what the Oscars would have been like had the strike not ended, showing a montage “Salute to periscopes/binoculars in the movies.” The next bit, which wasn’t a joke, was a “Salute to bees in the movies.” With material like that, the show was doomed.
I love Bill Crystal – his ability to take something from the show and run with it is pretty good – and his opening numbers were genius (where’s the dvd?). I also enjoyed Steve Martin a lot. He is so deadpan. In fact I enjoyed all of these hosts except for Chris Rock, actually. I didn’t find him remotely amusing.
If this were youtube, I’d be mashing that thumbs up button right now.
If Stewart ever does it again, I would love to see him co-host with Colbert. They are a nice complement to each other with their forms of comedy.
That would be soooooo fantastic!!!!!
Steve Martin was my favorite by far. He could mock with the best of them, but he also brought a TON of class to it– something the Oscars need to have and usually lack.
I agree with you 100% – Steve Martin is the best.
Steve Martin is the Best!
No question most entertaining Oscars- Hugh Jackman (and he is really hot too!)
I loved Jon Stewart as host. I thought he was funny, relevant, and seemed very comfortable, yet self deprecating. But Hugh Jackman stole the rug right from under any previous host’s feet. He was terrific, plain and simple. I can understand his reservations with hosting two years in a row, though. He’s a very successful, relevant, working actor, and is smart in not wanting to pigeonhole himself with this kind of work. Besides those two, I liked Ellen as well. I’ve been watching the show for about 20 years now, and I was just never that fond of Whoopi or Billy Crystal. Steve Martin was pretty good, I guess.
Hugh Jackman
I don’t find that the host matters all that much. It depends on who & what are nominated. Also, adding 10 nominees for Best Pic will help and having past winners come out to announce the noms and winners (as they did last year) was a great touch. Put people on TV that the rest of us want to see and that will draw viewers. The host, to me, is irrelevant. With that said; I liked Rock, Martin, Stewart & Jackman in no particular order.
Steve Martin or even Billy Crystal. Hugh Jackman was a bust, only appealing to those who adore him already. Chris Rock tanked as well because his comedy is too abrasive – why bust on the nominees so hard and in lame ways? Calling out Jude Law’s low boxoffice is maybe funny for those attending, but for those at home it’s such a vague reference. Jon Stewart looked uncomfortable and Whoopi was too businesslike.
DAVE K….you forgot DAVID LETTERMAN on your list of former Academy Awards hosts. But more importantly, if you look closer, do you see ONE female host on this list. I think it’s time that the Academy Awards people pick a female host….me likes TINA FEY. This gal is so funny & witty!! And a great comedy writer!!! So how about nixing BALDWIN & MARTIN this coming Academy Awards ceremony and let Ms. FEY step up to the plate!! I’m sure the ratings would hit the roof!
This whole comment is void. Letterman hosted the 1995 Oscars and, no, we don’t see ONE female on the list because there are TWO.
you don’t read properly or you don’t know your host, because for the obvious record there are two women mentioned. You just said that to say it, no merrit.
by the way Whoopi and Ellen are women.
Also not on the list… Bob Hope. What is not on the list? Not a single Jew! Wait… Not a single African-American! Wait… Not a single prematurely white-haired WASP! Wait… Somebody isn’t on the list and I am about to get self-righteously angry in order to promote one of my favorite comedians.
why can’t they just get co-hosts and let hugh laurie and stephen fry to do it … stupid academy awards …. smacks them
Ellen Degeneres. She had the best qualities of the others (in their non-Oscar persona), without the problems that plagued some of their abilities as Oscar host (which I have written in parentheses). She had the likability of Whoppi 9too formal) and Jon (too nervous), the humor of Billy (too many inside jokes) and Steve (too much rambling) and the pure entertainment of Chris (too hardcore) and Hugh (too lightweight).
Steve Martin in 2001. Laugh out loud funny.