This past Sunday, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the second year in a row. By all accounts, he did a very solid job. However, it was obviously a fairly safe pick for ABC. I hope that in the future, the producers pick some more exciting, perhaps less established hosts. I’ve decided to try and think of who I’d like to see hosting the awards. Like my column about late-night hosts, these choices are mostly very unrealistic, but I don’t care. Below are my top five picks, in no particular order:
1. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele
In the early days of the ceremony, the Oscars often had multiple hosts. Recently, it’s been one person, especially since the debacle that was James Franco and Anne Hathaway (mostly James Franco). However, I think having a pair that know each other well, work together and have great energy would add an exciting dimension to the hosting duties. Key and Peele fit this bill perfectly; if you’ve ever seen a full episode of their show, you know that they can be funny out of character as well, and they play off each other in such a lively way. In addition, Key and Peele represent a newer, fresher comedy that would be a departure from the more old-hat choices of late-night hosts and established comedians. That being said, there are many pairs of people who fit this bill, which leads me to…
2. John Mulaney and Nick Kroll
Mulaney and Kroll are another pair who would inject some freshness into the decidedly stale vibe of the Oscars. They’ve proven that they can effectively host an award show; they’ve been the hosts of the Film Independent Spirit Awards for the past two years (check out both monologues on YouTube — they’re hilarious). Both Mulaney and Kroll have a healthy disposition towards film: they clearly respect and celebrate the art form, but at the same time can lampoon the elitism present in Hollywood.
3. Tina Fey and/or Amy Poehler
Okay, so I’m cheating a little bit here. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have proven that they are a force as a duo. They were excellent together as the hosts of the Golden Globes in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In fact, they were so good that I don’t really understand why they were never picked to host the Oscars. So obviously, they can host well together. However, I think that either of them would be a fantastic host on their own. ABC, if you’re reading this (which I assume you are), please choose one or both of them in the near future.
4. Tiffany Haddish
If you saw Tiffany Haddish present an award with Maya Rudolph, or saw her host SNL, or saw her in Girls Trip, or have ever seen her do stand-up, you would know that she would be an incredible host of the Oscars. Obviously, I am a huge fan of Tiffany Haddish. Of all of my picks, she may be the one that I hope actually gets picked the most. The energy she would bring to the ceremony is truly unlike any other person on this list.
5. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t want to see this? Initially, I was going to put him on this list as a joke. However, the more I think about it, the more I’ve come to believe that The Rock would be an outstanding host. If you disagree, please write me a letter. AC #1076. Please. I love mail.