Despite the intense backlash behind the Academy's first-choice host, Kevin Hart, the show must go on.
With the biggest night in Hollywood less than two months away, the Oscars will reportedly forego a host — which has happened only once, 30 years ago, according to Variety.
Award show insiders told Variety that producers will be selecting a group of A-listers "to introduce various segments instead of relying on one marquee name to kick things off in a monologue filled with Trump zingers."
The last time the Oscars went host-less was in 1989, where the award show was infamously opened up with a cringe-worthy opening song and dance, featuring Snow White.
Rob Lowe, who sang with the Disney princess, spoke with The New York Times in December to reflect on the awful performance.
"I remember vividly looking out in the audience and seeing Barry Levinson, who on that particular evening was the belle of the ball with 'Rain Man,' and I could see him very clearly popeyed and mouthing, 'what the f***?' But to be a successful actor, you have to have a big dollop of self-denial, so I managed to convince myself that I'd killed it," Lowe said.
"It's always been a huge relief to me that after Snow White, the Oscars got their act together and avoided any further controversy and embarrassment," Lowe sarcastically said to the Times after asked whether or not the Academy learned its lesson. "By the way, it's basically a show that nobody wants to do. It's really sad. But honestly, they've got nobody to blame but themselves."
Since Hart stepped down hours after he was asked to host the Oscars in December, he has made numerous statements and TV appearances to patch up relationships between the Academy and the LGBTQ community.
"I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's," Hart tweeted in December. "This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazingly talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past. I'm sorry that I hurt people... I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again."
Hart appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday and said he was "over it."
Sources told Variety the chance of Hart coming back and host is "100 percent dead."
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Hannah Preston works remotely from the Los Angeles area. She studied Journalism & New Media at California Baptist University and interned ... Read more
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