Kevin Hart Steps Down as Oscars Host. UPDATE: The Academy considers going host-less.

https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/kevin-hart-says-the-film-academy-has-given-him-an-ultimatum-apologize-or-well-find-another-oscars-host-1203083698/

An excerpt:

Wednesday afternoon, comedian Kevin Hart was announced as the host for the upcoming 91st annual Academy Awards. By Thursday night, he had stepped down.

The turn of events followed outcry over previous anti-gay tweets, and comments Hart made during stand-up routines nearly 10 years ago. Some of the tweets were feverishly deleted throughout the day on Thursday, leading to an Instragram video from the comedian that only made matters worse for him.

“My team calls me, ‘Oh my God, Kevin, everyone’s upset by tweets you did years ago,'” he said in that video. “Guys, I’m nearly 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify the past, do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”

Those words rang as a defiant non-apology for many. Hours later, Hart resurfaced with another video stating that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had given him an ultimatum: Apologize or we’ll find a new host.

“I chose to pass on the apology,” the 39-year-old actor-comedian said in the video. “The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times. This is not the first time this has come up. I’ve addressed it. I’ve spoken on it. I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were. I’ve said who I am now versus who I was then. I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on and I’m in a completely different place in my life.”

Tell us OT, who should host the Oscars?

My dream pick used to be Louis CK, but yeah, that ain't happening.

My new dream is for Ricky Gervais to host, but I bet the Academy would rather self combust than to see someone as "raunchy" as Gervais hosting.

So who you got OT (or maybe they should just cancel the ceremony and just post the winner's list online lol).

The Hollywood Reported posted an article explaining why nobody wants the gig.

They should make it an all Disney broadcast. Disney characters can announce the awards instead of boring celebs. There could be a short comedy skit about why the Oscars don't take animated films seriously for Best Picture. And shoot, why not throw in Cloud Strife and Sephiroth to have a duel onstage as a musical number with Lady Gaga to accompany. That hasn't been tried yet!

There's probably a reason for that.

Well, it's A idea. as far as it being good, well...uh...

*points to the sky* Hey, look at that 4 legged airplane!

*runs*

Again, take my suggestion: just announce the winners on the internet, throw a party for the overpaid picture-pushers who gather if you must, and just save everyone some time and money.

@madrocketeer: That's a good idea. Ratings aren't usually good for the Oscars anyway.

Well here are some suggestions if they go through with it anyway: Will Smith and company, Carrot Top, Jake Busey, Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face and Gary Sinese.

Ratings aren't what they used to be and keep going down but the Oscars are still the most watched, non-football game, program each year.

Maybe they ask Billy Crystal to do them a solid and host one more time.

Good for him for not apologizing. He is absolutely right in not doing so

“My team calls me, ‘Oh my God, Kevin, everyone’s upset by tweets you did years ago,'” he said in that video. “Guys, I’m nearly 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify the past, do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”

Well said.

Hope the Oscars crash and burn and Hollywood, like Hart, has to "change, grow, and evolve"

They should find a self-deprecating black gay comedian who will poke fun at all the groups to take his place.

Reminds me of the James Gunn controversy.

That’s unfortunate because I find him to be quite funny and was looking forward to seeing him host. As for who I’d like to see replace him I’m not really sure but off the top of my head I would say I wouldn’t mind seeing someone like Stephen Colbert or Melissa McCarthy.

I'm not offended by homophobic jokes nothing really offends me these days tbh, (wish more people would be like me but oh well) but if this means less Kevin Hart, then I 100% support this!

Pretty funny, the same people who were aggressively backing James Gunn turn around and treat Hart differently because he didn't issue an "apowogy"

Glad to hear Kevin Hart not budging by ridiculousness. "Please apologize about what you did 10 years ago!" Yeah sure, after you've apologized for everything you've done in the past that might have offended someone bored enough to act offended. It's lucky I wasn't requested to apologize as my answer would likely have been "go **** yourself".

He clearly just didn't really want the job that badly.

I mean, if my boss tells me to either apologize for a "ridiculous" reason or get fired, I'm f***ing apologizing.

*shrugs* If he doesn't want the job then...okay.

So you are comparing paedophilia to being gay? Talk about being edgy.

But it´s so funny with the far-left, Night show host can make tons of gay jokes about Putin and Trump but jokes done 10 years ago is suddenly to much.

People on the far-left really is making the world a lot more shitty.

Do you really think a different host would rejuvenate the ratings? As evidenced by the decline, it seems people are caring less and less about the hollywood circle jerk.

I used to like the Oscars, but what really turned me off is the winners/nominees. It seems like after 2008 when The Dark Knight got snubbed by Oscar bait films things where going to change by adding 10 nominees. For the next 2 years we did get unique films getting the nod like Toy Story, Inception, Black Swan. But now they are back to their crap nominees. Its increadible they had 9 nominees last year and all of them Oscar bait film nobody cares about. Do I enjoy most of the films like Darkest Hour and The Post? Yes. But come on. Why not add variety, like Logan and Coco?

Nobody. Let the show die.

Good for Kevin for not apologizing.

@blackballs: Because God forbid the Academy recognizes something that has mass audience appeal (losely translated: makes a buttload of money.) That's why the Academy proposed a "best popular film" category. That way, the best picture category remains only for prestige films, while the unwashed heathens can see their favorite movie get nominated, too!

That was the most pandering, bs idea yet.

To be fair, I don't think they should feel like they've got to recognize things that have mass audience appeal. They ought to recognize the things that they think are worth recognition. I don't watch the Oscars anyway, but if I did then it would be because I actually want to see what they think are the best movies. If that's elitist, then so be it. I mean the other side of the spectrum would just be them validating the audience's tastes. And I don't need my tastes validated. If I've already watched the movie and enjoyed it, then I don't need to watch an awards show just to see some people validate my tastes.

Point being, people complain about the stuffy elitist nature of the Oscars, but on some level I feel like that's actually the only reason anyone gives a crap about them anyway. If people got the impression that they were just giving out awards based on popularity, then why even bother watching?

There's probably a healthy middle ground, but I feel like they're gonna have problems if they swing too far in either direction. If they go too elitist, then there's gonna be a problem keeping audiences since the awards just revolve around a bunch of movies that no one gives a crap about. But try to pander too much to mass audience appeal, and that discredits the whole thing by making it look like they're just selling out.

I'll host it. That way, after I'm done, anyone else would seem like a better choice.

Kevin Hart should get the Oscars to apologize for being the Oscars. That way, he can host after all.

If he did change, wouldn't his new better version of self want to apologize for his actions of the past. Who cares if some weird 1,000 loud mouth people rub their nipples as they get off to forcing people to do dumb shit.

@saltslasher:

Yah people like that end up getting put in check

@saltslasher: I wouldn’t and TBH I’d lose respect for him if he did. He owes them nothing.

@DEVILinIRON: " Kevin Hart should get the Oscars to apologize for being the Oscars. That way, he can host after all."

Was he ever nominated for the Oscars?

Can't they just call Billy Crystal again? Non-controversial pick, everybody likes him.

Yeah they should give anyone an Oscar for hosting it.

Kevin Hart's been nominated numerous times in a number of categories. He's just never won.

Comments like this always seem strange to me.

Sure, Hart doesn't owe the Academy anything. The Academy also doesn't owe Hart a job. Either he agrees to the terms of the party offering the job or else he doesn't get the job, or else he just decides he doesn't really want the job enough to agree to the terms.

Either way, it just seems weird to me that "respect" even enters into the equation for people. As if whether or not Kevin Hart decides to take an Oscar-hosting gig matters to anyone but him.

Nope. I'm not comparing the content of their tweets, but the controversy surrounding their tweets. These were offensive jokes they made a decade ago, only for these old tweets to be dug up and used against them nearly a decade later.

@MrGeezer: Hart seems completely at peace with losing the gig, and given the Oscars rather steep decline in recent years, they would appear to need him more than he needs them.

I’d lose respect for him because he’s already apologized and addressed it before. It’s over. If they won’t move on, he should do exactly what he’s doing and move on without them.

Award shows........meh. Can't believe they're still a thing.

Yeah, but that's between him and the Academy, right? Again, my point is, what exactly is your stake in all of this?

Let's suppose for a second that Kevin Hart did want the job badly enough to apologize. Well, in that scenario apparently HE wouldn't have been of the mindset of "it's over, just move on." And considering that he's the person who this actually affects...you see where I'm going with this?

@MrGeezer: The same could be said of just about anything anyone does. I guess nobody should have an opinion on anyone anymore.

Bill cheats on Hilary with an intern or Trump cheats on his wife with a porn star? That’s between them and their wives, shouldn’t affect my opinion of them whatsoever, right?

Doesn’t work that way.

Did he apologize? I was having trouble tracking that down. I see where he says that he has "addressed it" and that he's a different person now, but I didn't find an apology. That might be in part, though, by SEO results being choked with current articles.

-Byshop

Well, going by that example, I think that that would imply a sort of entitlement of expecting them to live up to your standards.

I mean, yeah...let's bring bill and Hillary into this. It's sort of like, if Bill and Hillary are both okay with Bill screwing around, then you're absolutely right. What the hell does that have to do with me? Don't get me wrong...you're still totally entitled to lose respect for them if what you think they're doing is WRONG, but the important thing to clarify here is what exactly they're doing wrong. In the case of Hillary Clinton, I suspect that the "wrong" thing to do would be to forgive a cheating spouse.

So, with the Kevin Hart example...what exactly would be "wrong" about Kevin Hart apologizing? Would it be wrong for him to need the job badly enough to apologize? Would it be wrong to apologize? Or would it be wrong to apologize because a potential employer is demanding that he apologize in order to keep his job? I'm just a little bit curious about EXACTLY what people's issue with this actually is? Like, would a James Gunn situation be preferable, in which they flat out fired him instead of at least giving him the opportunity to keep his job? Would you lose respect if he apologized because of WHO is giving him the ultimatum of apologizing? Is it just about the notion that he shouldn't have to apologize for his past, PERIOD? What exactly would be the issue with him apologizing?

Academy Looks Warily at Oscar Host Options as Board Meeting Looms

Kevin Hart’s abrupt departure as Oscars host has left the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences scrambling to find someone to take the gig. As of now, the situation remains fluid as the group’s leadership explores options, including going host-less, individuals familiar with the situation told Variety.

The Academy was blindsided by Hart’s announced departure Thursday night, according to two insiders. The Board of Governors will convene on Tuesday night at a previously-scheduled meeting where the matter will inevitably be discussed.

“They’re freaking out,” said a top comedy agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. There were no contingency plans in place by the Academy or broadcaster ABC, according to another insider. The show’s producers are back to square one.

Late night hosts might seem an obvious choice, given their national profiles and history with the show (think Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart and David Letterman). But the Academy is now said to be gun shy about going with someone anyone who might be too edgy, noted an industry source. Then again, going too safe could be fatal for the show’s record-low ratings — the telecast was watched by 25.6 million people in March, a 19 percent drop from the previous year.

Another option being tossed around is not having any host at all, but rather “a bunch of huge celebs, something ‘SNL’ style, and buzzy people” to keep the show moving, the insiders said. A stunt like a group monologue was floated, one source added.

ABC and the Academy did not return requests for comment on their search for a new host.

The Academy had hoped that Hart would apologize for a series of years-old homophobic tweets and show signs of genuine remorse, but would stop short of actually leaving the show, said another person close to the Hart exit. The group’s leadership did believe the comic needed to do a better job of addressing the jokes, which included tweets that made light of AIDS and offensive comments about the trans community.

Hart broke his silence on Thursday with a reaction to the tweets where he spoke of personal growth but did not initially apologize. He resigned hours later, including an apology with his statement that he was stepping down. His exit came after widespread outrage from GLAAD and other individuals in the LGBTQ community.

There’s also the emotional fallout from Hart. One top talent rep wondered why the Academy didn’t more thoroughly vet the host, particularly given that Hart has been asked about some of these jokes in the past.

“My clients are bummed. They’re bummed Kevin didn’t stay the course and serve as an example. It dampens the experience, hopefully [the Academy] can pull it together so we can focus on the excitement,” said the rep.

The Academy is under pressure to solve the host problem quickly ahead of the Feb. 24 broadcast. The Hart loss seems even more chaotic given the long runway Kimmel had for last year’s ceremony: He was announced as host in May 2017.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying this. The Academy is so full of itself.

Another option being tossed around is not having any host at all, but rather “a bunch of huge celebs, something ‘SNL’ style, and buzzy people” to keep the show moving, the insiders said. A stunt like a group monologue was floated, one source added.

Buzzy people? A group monologue? This is glorious. Anyways, going host-less and starting clean in 2020 might be the best course of action.