Kevin Hart Isn't Hosting The Oscars Anymore, But There's A Silver Lining
Kevin Hart is out as Oscars host after the public found old homophobic tweets in the depths of his Twitter account, but finding a replacement doesn't seem to be going smoothly for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Filling the spot has reportedly grown more difficult over time, which may inspire the Academy to take a different route this year. Who will host the 2019 Oscars? The Academy may hire several celebs rather than just one to helm the ceremony.
ICYMI, reports that comedian Hart was the host of the 91st Academy Awards first emerged on Dec. 5. He commemorated the news on Instagram, writing, "I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars. I am blown away simply because this has been a goal on my list for a long time."
Little did Hart know, the public's attention then began to fixate on his homophobic posts, as well as controversial comments from a stand-up routine nearly a decade ago. As focus on the messages grew and troublesome tweets were reportedly deleted throughout the day, the Academy contacted Hart to ask for a formal apology. Although he initially refused to apologize for the tweets, Hart finally announced his resignation early on Dec. 7, saying, "I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists." Elite Daily reached out to Hart's team for an additional comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Following Hart's exit, sources have said that the Academy has struggled more than usual in finding a host. The announcement of Hart in the position also came much later than past decisions. The organization is clearly in a bit of a panic, but Oscar officials may come through with something we're definitely not used to.
With just over two months to go until the Oscars, the Academy is reportedly considering a unique solution to Hart's absence. A source told Variety that rather than having an individual host, the ceremony could have "a bunch of huge celebs, something SNL style, and buzzy people" to lead the broadcast into commercials. The Academy is also reportedly considering a group monologue, perhaps modeling what was seen in the opening of the 2018 Primetime Emmy Awards before the entrance of hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.
Seeing beloved stars kick off the Emmys was an unexpected highlight of the ceremony, so the Oscars following suit could be very enjoyable. Every awards ceremony inevitably hits a rut at some point, but a rotating lineup of emcees could keep the show fresh and interesting.
As always, the option of choosing a late night host is always viable, but according to Variety, the Academy is now a little unsure about selecting an edgier person to run the night. Plus, haven't we seen all of the late night guys host one too many award shows? Perhaps we're long overdue for a format shakeup.
We'll have to wait and see what the Academy decides is best for its show, but count me in as a fan of hosting as a group effort. The 91st Academy Awards air on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, on ABC.
