SWEEEEEET!!!Academy Settles on Jon Stewart to Host Oscar Show

[kpete]

January 5, 2006 latimes.com : Business : Entertainment Business E-mail story Print Most E-mailed
Academy Settles on Jon Stewart to Host Oscar Show
By Steve Pond and Scott Collins, Special to The Times


Jon Stewart, the Emmy-winning host and co-writer of Comedy Central's mock newscast "The Daily Show," today will be named host of the 78th Annual Academy Awards, three sources familiar with the selection process said Wednesday, ending months of speculation about the show's next emcee.

Academy officials and longtime Oscar producer Gil Cates have settled on Stewart, 43, who hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002, the sources said.


One of the sources, who has first-hand knowledge of the situation, said that officials contacted Stewart shortly before Christmas and that the deal was wrapped up in a flurry of activity a day or two before the holiday.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences planned to announce the host early this morning. A spokesperson declined to confirm Stewart's selection or comment further.

http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-fi-oscar5jan05,1,216520.story?coll=la-headlines-business-enter&ctrack=1&cset=true

[babylonsister]

1. Settle? I think not, but this is great news!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[SharonRB]

2. That's great news!

He'll do a fine job, I'm sure.

[Kolesar]

3. But will this affect his reporting?

I would hate to see the news suffer.

[demnan]

4. For once they might be worth watching

n/t

[mattomjoe]

5. Hopefully, this will go better than his Grammy hosting

I don't know if it was the material he had to work with, but Stewart just looked off when he hosted the Grammys -- like he wanted to be anywhere but right there. In fact, I recall him at one point during the broadcast saying something like, "welcome back to the Grammys. I suck!". But I'm a big fan, so I hope it goes well for him.

[edbermac]

6. I'm not sure about Stewart...

Funny as hell on his show, but the Academy likes a schmoozer and that's not Jon Stewart; I'm sure they'll be giving him a list a mile long of things he musn't joke about...

:shrug: