By Monique
The Academy Awards have come and gone, but for the producers of the show, it’s already time to figure out who’s going to host the next Oscars.
This year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, did okay…but people had some issues with some of his jokes; mainly, what folks had problems with was Kimmel’s penchant for making fun of people’s names, including Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali and one of the members of the surprise tourist group who were led into the theater for a laugh. He didn’t really need to make fun of their names, because it gave many people, particularly people of color, flashbacks to when their names were made fun of growing up.
So, who could host next year? There’s a good chance it could go to Kevin Spacey, since he’s a triple-threat of an actor—he can act, dance, and sing. But how will #OscarsSoWhite play into things? Perhaps the Oscars are trying to keep their PR trend of seeming more inclusive going. (I’m sounding very cynical about the Oscars; they’re genuinely trying to be more inclusive, but in Hollywood, you better believe there’s some PR politics at play as well).
Maybe they’ll tap one of this year’s Academy winners or nominees, like two-time Oscar-nominated Taraji P. Henson, to host. Henson would make a great host; she has already hosted several variety Empire-themed variety shows for FOX, and she’s also multitalented as well; as we found out in Hustle & Flow, Henson has a great singing voice. Also, she’s naturally funny and charming, so she’ll certainly make the Oscars entertaining.
At this point, the race is wide open for the coveted position of Oscar host. Who do you think will secure the hosting duties for next year? Give your comments below!
Julian 