Seth MacFarlane hosted the Oscars this year, and despite a patchy performance, and whether or not you care for his smarmy sense of humor, ratings went up. And so the word was that the Academy asked him to do it again. However, MacFarlane declined and this speculation on who it would be began to circulate, and we offered up our own suggestions for who should get the gig. But it looks like producers of the telecast are going with someone who’s already proven they can do the job, and whose profile has only gone up in recent years.
Ellen DeGeneres has been selected to host the 86th Academy Awards. In 2006, DeGeneres gave an Emmy nominated turn as the host of the Academy Awards, breaking the sexual orientation barrier in the process, becoming the first openly gay person to lead the show. And needless to say, she’s as popular as ever, with a hit daytime talk show, a handful of endorsements and more. Moreover, unlike MacFarlane’s brand of comedy which is a bit of an acquired taste, DeGeneres is pretty much universally beloved, a choice that few can really complain about while also promising a show that can still be entertaining and genuinely funny. So, in short a smart call by the Academy.
The 86th Academy Awards will be broadcast on March 2, 2014.