Why Neil Patrick Harris doesn't plan to host the Oscars again

Maybe that was the problem - too much planning, designing and calculation and not nearly enough live feel, ad libbing and wit.

Because we won't ask him back.

Seth McFarlane said the same "one time only" excuse after he flopped.

Why are they over analyzing the jokes? That's the problem. They're afraid of offending anyone. I know people hated Whoopi, but she was able to get in some stinging shit without being extremely nasty.

I hated his song at the Oscars. I don't like his singing voice or his delivery. Broadway and Hollywood stars are not compatible IMO & I consider him purely the former. He is hugely popular so either he is doing something right or he is one of those celebrities that the public think they are *supposed* to love (like Beyoncé) and so conform to the mass opinion.

He tried his best, it just wasn't the best event for his talents. I still like him

Please, they wouldn't have him back if he funded the construction of a new retirement home.

Why in the name of all that is holy did no one have the courage to tell this narcissistic asswipe that no one but no one across the globe wanted to see his ridiculous magic tricks? Not even addressing the abject humiliation poor Octavia Spencer must have suffered, the bit was embarrassing, endless and had absolutely no pay off. I was mortified and offended we were all subjected to that puerile nonsense. And the clueless idiot was actually proud of it!!

He read the DL threads. You hurt his feelings.

R2 Wins.

Translation: You hurt my feelings.

[quote]he is one of those celebrities that the public think they are *supposed* to love (like Beyoncé)

I didn't get the message. I would hit the mute if her voice showed up.

totally get the poster who said "he's one of those celebrities people think they're supposed to love (beyonce)" -

[quote]They're afraid of offending anyone. I know people hated Whoopi, but she was able to get in some stinging shit without being extremely nasty.

My favorite zinger of hers was when she hosted the 68th Academy Awards in 1996, and in her monolog sha said mentioned several of the actress nominated that night: "Elisabeth Shue played a hooker. Mira Sorvino played a hooker. Sharon Stone played a hooker. How many times did Charlie Sheen get to vote?" LOL! This was the at the height of the Heidi Fleiss scandal and it was revealed that Sheen spent $50,000 as a customer at her brothel.

It is really amazing that some performers are unable to read an audience or are so tone-deaf that they can't anticipate what jokes will be funny and well-received. You can be edgy, biting, and witty without being a nasty jerk or a jackass or without being monumentally unamusing.

NHP simply sucked.

I think he got screwed over by the same stale, cliché' driven assholes that have been screwing up the Oscars for years. The only reason Ellen worked out is more than likely because she insisted on doing things her way, and had major input. Neil was too cooperative and he paid the price even though it was obviously really bad writing.

I love how he says "his family" couldn't take it again. I'm sure they didn't notice w/him tweeting and instagraming every damn thing every five seconds since he was announced as the host.

I still can't believe he actually came out on stage in just a pair of briefs. I know nobody takes the Oscars seriously anymore in years since it's just whomever campaigns/shells out the money enough to buy an award, but it was still just a appalling moment and something I think only a guy who was narcissistic would end up doing.

I also found it crass how during the lead up he referred to everyone as "his" team and "his" writers. I just hate when a celebrity does that, like he was paying them out of his own pocket. It reminds me of Jim Parson won a GG and accidentally thanked the writers as "his writers" and not "the writers." It was a great moment and he realized his big mistake in that. NPH could never be that self-aware.

NPH is just some vain self-absorbed hack magician. I can't wait for his NBC variety show to bomb. I guess Ryan Murphy will always be there to give him work in the end.

[quote]I still can't believe he actually came out on stage in just a pair of briefs. I know nobody takes the Oscars seriously anymore in years since it's just whomever campaigns/shells out the money enough to buy an award, but it was still just a appalling moment and something I think only a guy who was narcissistic would end up doing.

That was an obvious spoof of BIRDMAN, when Michael Keaton is locked out of his dressing room and must run through Times Square and make his scene entrance in the back of the theater with just his briefs. Duh!

Some people are too stupid to live.

"You're fired! No I quit!" scenario

[quote]It's a beast.

Tell me about it!

He really was a terrible host. His constant mugging, combined with lame jokes, and that endless magic trick that completely bored everyone with no pay off whatsoever made this year's ceremony truly unwatchable. He'll go down as one of the worst Oscar hosts ever. Hell, even the trainwreck that was James Franco and Anne Hathaway was more entertaining than NPH's snooze show.

R21, there's no need to get insultings. As horrible as NPH was, Franco/Hathaway was much worse. NPH at least has some hosting experience.

The "magic" bit would have been lame on the Tony Awards, never mind the Oscars.

[quote]there's no need to get insultings.

preach somewhere else r22

Octavia Spencer received a lot of attention and she handled it graciously. A win win for an actor.

Every attention whore in the placed wished they had her seat.

He was awful! Sorry Neil you can't do it all. Stick to the Tony's which is a fine a gig.

The gratuitous segment of him in his underwear was not funny and clearly designed to show of his fit self. Very stupid and inappropriate for the Oscars.

Hosting can seriously damage one's career, if not permanent damage. I don't know why anyone takes this job anymore.

Even with declining ratings, far more people watched the OSCARS than saw BIRDMAN. Which made the "NPH in his undies" moment a WTF moment of inexplicable undoing rather than a good joke. It will be interesting how it impacts NPH who could do no wrong up to now. Best of luck.

Seth MacFarlane bombed at the Oscars and it really set back his emergence from FAMILY GUY as a performer and personality. His western movie was a huge failure. He's well advised to remain behind the scenes as a talent, though word is that it just kills him NOT to be in front of the camera.

Franco? FWIW, he and AnnE infamously hosted the worst ceremony ever. At least Rob Lowe and Snow White were fun.

Billy Crystal all but ended his career when he reappeared as host in 2012. He looked ancient, face-lifted, grim, and clueless, and was deeply unfunny to boot. A shame, after a shockingly long, successful run as host in 1990–1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004. People have already forgotten about his contributions to the Academy. I don't love Crystal as an actor, but give the man his due.

[quote]Every attention whore in the placed wished they had her seat.

Obviously not Robert Duvall.

R25, are you stupid, too? See R18.

R18, I don't know about R17, but I didn't know it was a spoof of Birdman, as I haven't seen the film yet, so I guess that makes me too stupid to live as well. I still thought it was some narcissistic actor wanting to show off his body as well, from what you said, paying homage to the movie.

I want the Best Picture noms to return to five, and the return of the funny little movies with which they used to open the show.

Yes but Robert Duvall is no attention whore.

IMO Zadan & Meron had as much to do with the debacle a NPH did. They produced and had to approve of all the gags, including the stupid underwear one. Too old and Broadway-esque imo.

Time to throw all the cards up in the air and go for something risky and different. Ellen and Kevin Hart have been meeting, he's interested in hosting and they could be an interesting team (Ellen is proven).

A few years ago wasn't Eddie Murphy supposed to host, with Brett Ratner producing? Can't stand Ratner, but after all the dreck we've seen the past few years something like that could be refreshing. Even if its a derailed train wreck ratings would be high.

He's a really good Tony's host. I thought he was be a really good Oscar's host. He wasn't. I thought he fell short on many aspects. The jokes weren't big enough for the occasion, they were club material. I thought the rest of the show was so much better than recent years too.

So much flyover envy. Sad.

Datalounge is so happy when we can tear apart gay people!

Eddie Murphy SHOULD host. It's worth the gamble.

I wouldn't say that about many people. But he needs the heat.

r34, envy? More like irritation at mediocrity my dear.

Letterman seriously damaged his career hosting the Oscars too.

I remember reading in some book his producers saying it was the first time Letterman was ever considered uncool and they had to work years to overcome that image.

Sue's stretch pants: is Eddie angling for another comeback? He's been really visible lately, the SNL show and he attended the Oscars this year.

Do you think he'd consider the hosting gig again? I think he'd be smooth.

Harris just seems to be too insulated from the cycles of showbiz. It is like he needed some adviser to tell him to take a break. He had an incredible year with Hedwig, the finale of HIMYM, his bio, Gone Girl.

It was inevitable that he'd have a failure. It's too bad that this one was so public.

He said in EW last week that he doesn't pay attention to film history and isn't particularly nostalgic. I think that is what did him in. He failed to look at the paths of other people's careers and see what happened to them.

Since you ask, darling at at R39, Eddie is ill-advised. Always has been. He is a talented guy with a star complex who surrounds himself with idiots.

Case in point: he was SO money with his performance in DREAMGIRLS in 2006. He should have won for that performance, IMHO, but he is so disliked by so many. And it didn't do that much for him, beyond the SHREK voiceover franchise.

I was a bit disappointed by his appearance on the SNL special, but also surprised that he even consented to be there. I think he longs for an opportunity to showcase his talents.

Why not just do away with the Oscars? It always causes so much acrimony, consternation, resentment and turmoil. And all for what? So a $25,000 gown can end up tossed onto the closet floor? What good does any of this do anybody anyway? Couldn't everyone just play cards or sing songs or light fireworks instead? Why is it so goddamned important, this whole "Oscars" thing? People got along fine for centuries without it.

[quote]People got along fine for centuries without it.

No, they didn't. Humanity has been constantly at war and persecuting and killing people ever since the beginning of mankind. Not to mention, the Oscars were founded in between two devastating world wars.

[quote]Couldn't everyone just play cards or sing songs or light fireworks instead?

Can you imagine the mind who wrote r42? Oh dear!!!

They need to get someone who can deliver one zinger after another, no holds barred. It's hilarious when the "acting greats" get pulled down a peg or a two. That's what the public wants to see.

He doesn't plan to host again because he won't be asked as he was terrible.

A critical and ratings failure and he's not humbled in the slightest. But at least him hosting is what finally did him in.

Not only will he never host again, the Oscars will never have a host again, period.

That would be good r48. I actually like to see who wins and how many predictions I get right.

I usually have a snack, go to the bathroom or read the internet reactions during all the comedy bits and musical numbers.

Maybe they should scale it back to a dinner event, like it used to be before it blew up into this major thing. If the audience numbers are dwindling, it's a sign that people aren't that interested anymore. It might bring some of their egos down to earth.

I say hire Ricky Gervais.

I blame the head writer: he got writeups. Some queen who had never written comedy. WTF?

R50, the ratings do well when Leo Dicaprio is nominated. People want to see him win a Oscar. He has star quality like no other.

Lol @R50. If you say so.

[quote]that my family nor my soul could take it,"

When you attribute it to your family, it means you suck and you know you did.

They need some normal people to host.

boop

[quote]"It's so difficult for one who's simply watching the show to realize just how much time and concession and compromise and explanation has gone into almost every single thing. Every joke. Wording of joke. Placement of joke. Canceling of joke. Embellishment for just one line.

Oh, honey, apparently not enough.

[quote]Case in point: Eddie Murphy was SO money with his performance in DREAMGIRLS in 2006. He should have won for that performance, IMHO, but he is so disliked by so many.

Didn't the fucking brat stamp his little feet and LEAVE the ceremony when he didn't win.

What an asshole.

For all the blame the writers got, I think the blame lies squarely at the feet of NPH.

Given his enormous ego, I am sure he thought he knew better than the writers as to what would work. And anyone who follows his Twitter knows that he is not anywhere as clever as he thinks he is.

Plus, the "I'm going to go out in my stuffed underwear! Oh, because . . . because . . I don't know . . .Oh, Birdman! A movie nobody has seen!" bit was an embarrassing display of narcissism.

R17, when celebrities say "My team" and stuff like that, they think they're being gracious. Obviously (except to them) they're being self-inflating and obnoxious.

Agree. We all know the underpants thing was a riff on BIRDMAN. That didn't make it right or funny or interesting.

AnnE/Franco were awful and Billy Crystal was embarrassing.

Ellen was actually pretty boring; however, the selfie and pizza bit went over big so she'll be remembered as one of the better hosts.

Steve Martin is still my favorite Oscar host, especially the time he hosted solo.

I appreciate they're probably trying to appeal to the upcoming MTV generation when they do stuff like that, R59, but what it shows is that they're not looking at some of the fundamental things wrong with the Oscars. First being length, which is partially due to the belief the hosts need to run sideshow bits. They don't. No one wants to see that. It seems the Academy became even more self-congratulatory throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, and has recently begun reducing in time. But anything over 2 1/2 hours is still too long. And yes - I know, I know - everyone says this. I don't know why, though, if everyone says this, nothing is done about it. I can't imagine even Hollywood's elite wants to sit there that long. It'd be like the prom from hell that never ends. And I don't think upcoming generations are going to bother watching something that goes on for great lengths of time. The first thing they should do, though, is cut out all the cutesy host stuff, as well as all the musical numbers.

[quote]Datalounge is so happy when we can tear apart gay people!

The Jeffery Dahmer fanclub president is reporting in at R35

[quote]Ellen was actually pretty boring; however, the selfie and pizza bit went over big so she'll be remembered as one of the better hosts.

Plus, she's not threatening to the thin-skinned celebrities in the audience.

A Christopher Reeve hologram would do better than Harris did. It was a Franco-like return to infant wanna-bes pretending to be grownups and shitting themselves without knowing it.

The difference between Franco and Harris is that Franco is sufficiently obtuse, smug and stoned not to notice he was bombing.

Harris, on the other hand, allowed the creeping realization that he had lost the house to telecast from his face.

I don't think I've ever seen a performer on live TV so obviously aware that what he was doing wasn't working.

Which moment was the most embarrassing... Duvall?

[quote]We all know the underpants thing was a riff on BIRDMAN. That didn't make it right or funny or interesting.

No. And that was the problem. Most people, outside the people sitting there, didn't know it had anything to do with any movie.

Even people who did know the underwear thing was an homage to Birdman, may have found it an unfortunate choice.

As one of America's most visible gay men, it was probably a bad idea to play into the stereotype of being a narcissist who disrobes at inappropriate times to sexualize a situation.

Like those 50+ "boys" who can't wait to take their shirts off in public.

[quote]Agree. We all know the underpants thing was a riff on BIRDMAN. That didn't make it right or funny or interesting.

I don't think the audience wanted to see NPH's junk, which made it not funny. If was a bit redundant. More like NPH wanted to show off his body.

[quote]I also found it crass how during the lead up he referred to everyone as "his" team and "his" writers. I just hate when a celebrity does that, like he was paying them out of his own pocket. It reminds me of Jim Parson won a GG and accidentally thanked the writers as "his writers" and not "the writers." It was a great moment and he realized his big mistake in that. NPH could never be that self-aware.

It's the same as Ellen making a selfie of her and the Oscar nominees posing with her. I found that self absorbed.

[quote]Octavia Spencer received a lot of attention and she handled it graciously. A win win for an actor.

Yeah, attention with that kid she was dating.

[You do realize that this is a troll, right? You might want to stop talking to it.]

[quote]It's the same as Ellen making a selfie of her and the Oscar nominees posing with her. I found that self absorbed.

I agree.

Back in 1988, the year Cher won for "Moonstruck", Eddie came out to present Best Picture but first "lectured" the AMPAS members in the audience for not honoring enough black people, which many have not forgotten and I believe led to his "DREAMGIRLS" defeat.

LMAO. He's like the guy who preemptively breaks up with someone when he senses he's about to be dumped. There's no way in hell he would've been asked back, even if he expressed interest.

I was like a flare gun at a huge pyrotechnic show. Big flashes but not enough crowd pleasing fireworks and sparkle. Ultimately, the flare gun was used for distress calls.

Sorry, NPH.

NPH's adlib about the woman's dress after she had just dedicated her Oscar to a 15-year-old son who'd committed suicide was cringe worthy. Was he not paying attention?

The underwear thing bombed bigtime. Made him seem creepy and exhibitinist. And he wore briefs to make it worse! People might have responded better to boxers.

People mock Bruce Vilanch but he wrote some funny shit

I haven't heard people mock Bruce Vilanch. Didn't he win an Emmy specifically for the Oscar show hosted by Billy Crystal, where Jack Palance did push-ups on atage, then that became a running joke later in the show?

NPH is cute and in shape for his age. Do you mean you girls didn't like looking at him in his underwear? As voyeuristic as you all are, that is hard to believe.

He did a fine job.

I think Whoopi was the best ever, however.

Ellen--THE WORST. Conceited, smug, butch, superior attitude, horrible voice, ugly, fake, that boring deadpan look after she tells a stale joke--she needs to GO. I never got why suburban straight hausfraus love her so much. Could it be the shit she gives away? She is horrible. The whole selfie thing smacked of giggly ninth grade girls--the mentality and sexuality of everyone who was in it!

OCTAVIA is great on the tv show Mom. She should be a recurring regular. She is a very good actress.

84 = David Burtka, breast-feeding the twins

NPH nipples were huge are really hard. That's my lonh lasting memory of this years Oscars.

The main reason the ratings were down is simple no big major charismatic stars were nominated. The Brits were interested cos they had two actors and two actresses up in the main acting category.

[quote]Back in 1988, the year Cher won for "Moonstruck", Eddie came out to present Best Picture but first "lectured" the AMPAS members in the audience for not honoring enough black people, which many have not forgotten and I believe led to his "DREAMGIRLS" defeat.

That may have contributed but more likely his behavior leading up to the show led to his loss. He acted like an ass, being difficult during promotion for the movie and not campaigning after he was nommed.

He also went on a public rant during the voting period against former gf Scary Spice, who was pregnant at the time or had just given birth, squawking that her child "wasn't mine" and that he wasn't going to believe it was until a paternity test. So NOT the happy family-friendly image AMPAS voters expect to see in their nominees and winners.

Oh and Norbit didn't help either.

He was a train wreck! And NOT in a good way!

When you have to wince every time he comes to the stage he's in real trouble. Octavia and the lock box, horrific! Duvall wasn't falling for that BS at all!

The underwear bit makes me think he's fooling around on David or at least thinking about it. That nonsense doesn't even look good on paper.

R46 I remember some people were annoyed (and there was even an article or two about it) when Murphy started his SAG speech in an affected English accent: "What a tremendous honor to be recognized by one's peers. I've been acting for some 25 years now and this is a tremendous honor." He then broke character and said, "No, I'm sorry. I feel goofy up here, 'cause I don't be winning stuff."

I think people took offense because it sounded like he was mocking the British winners (Mirren for THE QUEEN and ELIZABETH I, Jeremy Irons for ELIZABETH I, Hugh Laurie for HOUSE). Plus, he didn't seem to be taking it seriously. This was his third win in a row (after Critics Choice and Golden Globe), so that particular speech may have rubbed people the wrong way.

BTW: Murphy wasn't nominated for BAFTA, which Arkin won, so I don't really think that had any bearing on the outcome.

r46 couldn't have been what you meant to link, it's too generic.

Umm r89, who did you actually mean to link to, so we can understand your post.

Oscar Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron Signal They Aren't Returning:

The obvious joke that would have gone over big would have been a play on Boyhood using footage from Doogie Howser, HIMYM to today. I kept waiting for it and it never materialized.

any guesses what race r84 is?

Whoopi was the best?!?

r87 is right

Murphy has alienated almost everyone he has ever worked with in recent years sometimes not even consciously. He doesn't even talk to anyone on films except his entourage. He is kept completely isolated and doesn't even rehearse or accommodate the other actors in anyway.

You know you are in trouble as a host/comedian when uber serious Jared Leto delivers his line with the best comic timing of the night.

When you've done something so well, why repeat it?

I hope he changes his mind, right?

He's the wrong color

Why enter the contest when you already won it. He's not Michael Phelps desperately grasping for fame despite an ugly face.

Was he asked? Better than Robin Williams was.

The poor baby! My heart goes out.

Why do something you already have achieved success at? He's not Michael Phelps needing to do the same thing over and over because you have no options.

He was one of the better hosts in recent memory, to be honest.

I loathed Ellen.

You can't repeat perfection

Amen to that