This year’s Oscars were actually “successful.” For years, there’s been a steady decline in viewership, but this year, the audience was way up. I tend to believe that people tuned in (at first) because of certain fan-favorite nominated actors and films, like Will Smith and CODA. Plus, Beyonce performed and people will always tune in for Beyonce. I also believe that people watched the whole show because of the Slap. Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock a couple of hours into the telecast – people kept watching for the same reason people stop when there’s a car accident. Rubbernecking to watch the chaos unfold. I still say that the Slap was one of the best things to happen to the Oscars in years. It was an incredible conjunction of live television, failing Academy bureaucracy, cultural touchpoints and real-time social media reporting and reaction. Anyway, ABC’s president of entertainment said that the network plans to recapture that lightning in a bottle by possibly hiring Chris Rock to host next year’s Oscars.
ABC will air the 95th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday March 12, and Craig Erwich promises that the Disney-owned network will make the telecast “even better” than this year.
Erwich, who is President of Entertainment at ABC, told Deadline that despite the Will Smith slap on Chris Rock, he thought it was a “really successful year for the show.”
He was also open to the idea of Rock hosting the show.
“My assessment of the Oscars was that it was really a successful year for the show. Obviously there was a lot of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of the positive things about the show, but I was really happy with the program,” he said. “Even before that very unfortunate moment, the show started off up year over year, and we came back in a big way.”
The show, which was hosted by Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, was up nearly 60% in audience and 73% in the key demo from the hostless 2021 Oscars, capturing 16.6M viewers.
“It was the biggest bounce back of any award show this season. If you look at what they were trying to do, which is really bring entertainment back to the program, they had three amazing hosts, clips, and incredible musical performances, I thought it was a great way for the show to reclaim its place on the mantle. There’s always things to learn and we’ll endeavor to do even better next year.”
I genuinely hope that they do not get Chris Rock to host. Or Amy Schumer or Wanda Sykes. Regina Hall can come back, she was fine and she’s never come out and claimed to be psychologically traumatized by a grown man slapping another grown man. Mostly, I don’t want Rock to host because y’all know every f–king joke will be about getting slapped or Jada Pinkett Smith. Let’s move on.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
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- Presenters Elliot Page, J.K. Simmons and Chris Rock backstage at the Oscar® for Original Screenplay to Kenneth Branagh during the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673582693, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Chris Rock backstage at the live ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673582761, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
Mine’s a no vote to this hosting suggestion as well.
Yeah, nope. Silly idea. I don’t like his comedy so that’s also why I say no.
Everyone keeps calling Jada’s issue a “medical condition,” but the consensus seems to be that the tiny, horizontal patch of baldness she showed off on her IG was a facelift scar, visible because she shaved her head. If she does have alopecia, it’s the very mild and very common type.
Why should Chris Rock be embiggened and rewarded for his a$$holery???!!! Rock is a misogynist, two-faced sell-out who hides his nasty negativity behind ‘making jokes.’ Rock got away with being nastily mocking Jada at the 2016 Oscars! There’s no reason in the world for the Academy to have asked Rock to give the documentary award this year some 10 minutes before the Best Actor award was announced. Why was Rock even invited for any reason? In order to start messing with Jada again? There’s a bad history there coming from Rock. It’s been documented. Rock has mocked and harassed both Will and Jada on social media. The Academy need to take responsibility for their part in what happened.
How in the world do they try and take advantage of ‘The Slap,’ while at the same time treating Will Smith as an outcast!? They are rewarding the perpetrator, Rock, while showing no compassion whatsoever for Will and Jada. There’s something really wrong with this. If Rock is brought back as a host, I will boycott watching any future Oscar telecasts. The Academy has no business blatantly capitalizing on the incident and playing into the incident, while continuing to condemn and punish the wronged parties, who are Will and Jada, not Chris Rock!
Everybody was titillated by what happened, and then when white society weighs in the next day, everyone turns around and points fingers at Will Smith as being such a baddie. Meanwhile, it’s our friggin’ culture and our individual tendency to project that is the huge problem in how the incident is being reacted to. Will did not respond the right way, but he doesn’t deserve this endless condemnation and being cast out, while everyone else tries to capitalize on and monetize his reaction against Rock’s abusiveness toward his wife, Jada!
Agreed!!! It would be rewarding Chris Rock to continue his misogynistic and sexist behaviour towards Jada and women in general. Chris Rock is the scum of the earth. People watched because there was represention this year, Beyoncé performed and the movies that were up for Oscars were stellar, NOT because of Chris Rock. But you show us how you support this sexist a$$hole, who still hasn’t apologized, and we will continue to see how exclusive your all white Academy is and remains so. But yes, banish Will Smith for Chris Rock attacking his wife’s medical condition.
No. Let’s just not.
honestly, I didn’t think the hostless format the one year they did it was that bad.
I love Chris Rock but I agree that having a hostless telecast is a better choice. I thought the year they didn’t have hosts worked very well – less boring. I just wish they would fix the “in memoriam” part of the show. I’d rather them focus on the dead people rather than the performer singing.
I’m not watching. I don’t even google the winners anymore.
That said having him back doesn’t sway me one way or another. They had just better figure out their security a bit better.
Ugh, no. Man is a misogynist, swings from “radical” to “respectability” in a completely self-serving manner (basically, he’s fine with making jokes punching down until he’s personally in danger of marginalization, then suddenly he’s Malcolm X), and worst of all, has been getting dramatically less funny as he ages. If they’re looking for the ratings nadir that eventually leads to an end to non-streaming Oscars broadcasts, then they’re welcome to book him.
Everything you said!
This. He’s a misogynist.
I’ve said this for years now. You’re on the money.
Thank you, Dee! You said it, and you’re 1,000% correct, and then some! ✅
Definitelly YES!
A Dave Chappelle by a less famous name. This is why I don’t fuck with male POCs unless they prove they are allies to me, a female POC. If they do not prove themselves to be concerned with my safety and wellbeing, then they only have sympathy for themselves and can therefore suck it.
The oldest form of discrimination in this world is gender, not race. He’s another man trying to punch down until he gets the same respect that a privileged White man would. Newsflash dummy, it ain’t happening, AND, you just showed your whole ass to women of color all around the world.
P.S.: Will Smith was WRONG to slap him, and he looked insane crying and then partying and only when the booze wore off, then apologizing to his actual victim, Chris.
Yes to all of That. I have been loving this new era of women of color demanding respect before supporting male POC. Often times our support is basically seen es a given when IT’S NOT in the worse case scenarios it’s sometimes DEMANDED and I, for one, am sick of it.
Groan. Oscars are so annoying. This will not bring ratings. I will intentionally not watch, not that I have in years anyway.
No this this will definitely bring in the ratings. People love watching toxic people and they would definitely tune in to check out what he will say or what will happen.
That’s why talk to people on reality shows get their own personal spin off because people love watching a train wreck and all the toxicity that they bring with them.
No. No, no, no, no, no. NO.
He’s not funny, and he’s always trynna make a joke out of Black women. So no. Not fine at all.
NO!!!!
I find his material totally offensive. Don’t condone Will Smith’s action, but I sympathize with it and the complete piling on Smith and ignorning of Rock’s actions I also find offensive.
Exactly all of this. I will not watch if he is the host.
Gross.
Why would Chris Rock lower himself again to host the Oscars? An event that gave a standing ovation to an ass.
THIS!!^^
Yes, it’s a weird comment. Like Erwich thinks all he has to do is snap his fingers and Rock will do it.
@Jane: “Why would Chris Rock lower himself again to host the Oscars? An event that gave a standing ovation to an ass.”
Lower himself? The Academy lowered itself and set up what happened by asking Chris Rock to present the documentary award in the first place, with Jada and Will Smith in the front row, ten minutes away from the announcement of best actor. FYI: Many people in the audience had compassion for Will Smith, but I think it should be obvious that they gave Will a standing ovation for his performance in King Richard, not for snapping after years of verbal abuse from Chris Rock. In the aftermath, Will has been thoroughly punished and treated like an outcast. The a$$es in all of this are in truth Chris Rock and the Academy.
Everyone knew that Will Smith was most likely to win Best Actor, because he’d won all other major acting awards for his portrayal of Richard Williams. Why would the Academy ask Rock to be there at all this year, knowing how he had so nastily mocked Jada Pinkett Smith in 2016? Rock had no business being given the opportunity to go out there and waste time going off script just to take more mean-spirited jabs at Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock’s ‘joke’ against Jada was also intended to punch down on Will, minutes away from an important moment in Will’s life. Rock’s behavior was despicable. Will slapping Chris is indefensible, but I have compassion for Will because he’s proven himself to be a kind and generous person throughout his life.
In 2016, Jada & Will had the balls and the gumption to join the #OscarsSoWhite protest. That protest is what led to more visibility for diverse actors and acknowledgment by the Academy of the need to reward its diverse acting community. Rock in essence, crossed the picket line to host the 2016 Oscars and he made fun of Jada & Will for their courage in backing diversity. More than that, Rock has mocked and harassed Will & Jada on social media, so there’s a documented history there of jealousy and abusiveness toward the Smiths. Why would the Academy make the mistake of bringing Rock back during a year when Will was finally going to be rewarded for his talent?
@jane – 100% agree with you
It’s a No for me.
This is a big NO for me. They need to recast Hugh Jackman . His 2009 ceremony was one of the best that I remember.
I would not be surprised,if they did. He must be given the opportunity to use his cruel brand of humor on the Smiths.
Maybe, go after Will this time.
The last time I watched most of the Oscar’s was for Best Picture win for 12 Years a slave.
I love movies, for a time I would actually go to see at least 45 features that included cinema, film, movies and documentaries.
Then there was the Oscar’s, not unlike an expensive car show where the best models are displayed.
A wonderful way to encourage customers to partake of their goods at a price.
Then came my non interest.
Where are the traumatized tweets about the Buffalo shootings that occurred last Saturday?
But Will Smith is the problem?
45 + features per year, for at least 9 years.
Agreed.
Only if he takes the stage and proceeds to tell off the audience for a solid five minutes before walking off the show. They watched one of their own physically assault Rock and had the audacity to cheer Will Smith later like a bunch of trained sea lions.
Yeah really. I still can’t believe that happened. If a man got up there and slapped a woman, the reaction would have been completely different I bet !
I cannot agree with you more MicMac! They are all hypocrites!
Will Smith was being cheered for his performance in King Richard. No one condoned Will slapping Chris Rock. It is the Academy and Rock who are equally in the wrong, because Rock should never have been asked to present an award 10 minutes before the Best Actor award was announced. Everyone knew that Will Smith was bound to win. Why is it okay for Rock to go out there, waste time ad-libbing and going off-script in a mean-spirted effort to take more jabs at Jada, and by extension at her husband, Will?
The incident occurred at a point in the broadcast of high tension and anticipation by Will, to finally be honored for his extraordinary body of work. Yes, Will snapped and behaved inappropriately. But if what he did is so bad, why are people still so thrilled and titillated by ‘The Slap’? Why is the Academy trying to capitalize on the violent incident by contemplating asking Rock to return as host???
Why should Rock be rewarded for punching down on Jada, while Will Smith is being condemned, punished, and cast out for his retribution against Rock, in defense of Jada suffering constant verbal abuse?
Good lord that’s a lot. Will shouldn’t even have been in the room when his award was announced. He should have been immediately out of the building. Yeah it’s that simple. No gray area. It was assault. Yes a bitch slap is assault.
I don’t think Chris Rock would but if he does he should roast Will and Jada throughout the show. I’m so sick of people defending Will and Jada. They’re the ones to blame. They’re adults not kids. If you’re an actor it should be expected you’ll get made fun of at an awards show. It goes with the territory and the millions they make.
I think we really need a host who will be able to *celebrate* films and the art of filmmaking rather than make fun of it. I imagine most people who watch the Oscars do so because they enjoy Hollywood and movies, or they appreciate the work that goes into it, or they love the glamour of it. The Oscars have become so self-depreciating in tone over the years that it is no longer a celebration of movie magic and instead just makes fun of anyone for caring about a self-congratulatory award show, and it’s too negative. This year they made fun of animated movies as being something adults suffer through as though Encanto wasn’t MASSIVELY popular with adults.
I agree with everything you said. It’s turned into a roast and not a celebration of movies.
^^ Exactly @Case and @TheHorrorFatale. There needs to be a change in the tone of the broadcast. But apparently, the Academy has learned nothing from this year’s unfortunate incident, except to ask the verbal abuser to come back to throw more barbs at Jada, Will, and newly nominated actors.
I don’t watch the Oscars anyway, much less to watch if they have this aging misogynist host again. But maybe that is their audience? All the fifty-somethings that long for those halcyon days when real men wore goatees, enormous fake boobs were in, and Rock and Spade were the apex of American comedy.
Well, it’s not like Will Smith is going to be there…
^^ Seriously? If Chris Rock is going to be asked back to host, Will Smith is going to be the elephant in the auditorium throughout the telecast. The Academy and everyone who decides to tune in will be waiting for more piling on toward Jada, and redundant condemnation toward Will. Maybe the Academy will even consider a re-enactment, just to pull in more rubbernecking thrill-seekers, eh!
No. He’s made his career insulting Black women, often for white audiences. I get that the people behind the Oscars may want to reward him and increase their audience, but this really is not the way to do it. Sure, people will check them out next year to hear what else Rock has to say about Will and Jada, but holding out a minstrel show when the focus should be on the movies is not a great look or a great long term strategy.
Thank you Blithe. I’m so tired of everyone acting like the two sides here are Chris Rock and Will Smith and ignoring that the precipitating event was YEARS of disrespect towards Black women.
^^ Thank you @SophieJara, for astutely telling it like it is! Chris Rock has made a career out of misogynist humor. He has gotten away with mocking and verbally abusing Jada for years, apparently out of bitterness and jealousy. Will unfortunately snapped inappropriately, but he had been provoked for years. Rock’s jibe was not a spontaneous, one-off so-called ‘joke.’ It was intentional and mean-spirited. As the nasty provocateur, Chris Rock should not be rewarded. Even less should he be admired for hiding behind being a comedian.
What a terrible idea. And honestly everyone who was watching hated the Oscars. Them cutting certain awards was such a bad idea.
Ugh. No. The last time he hosted it was terrible. This is a really dumb way to “apologize” to him for what happened this year. Just. Move. On.
They are poking the bear for ratings, just stop.
I loved Hugh Jackman’s hosting of the Oscarcast, he is respectful of the genre and celebrities, musically talented and easy on the eyes!
Nope! nope ! nope! is he getting a nod for the movie he was in with Samuel Jackson? I can see why they would want to have him host because peole would want to see how he responds to the Slap for the millionth time, i reckon any comedian who comes on next year will make a joke about it. i hope they choose someone good
I don’t understand why they always need comedians to host, like get an actor who loves cinema and has good stage presence. Chris Rock’s entire on stage comedic personality is making jokes at other people’s expense especially Black women. He’s always been this way, literally people have asked him to stop & he doesn’t.
Either get an actor or don’t have a host at all. Also, can we finally move on? This wasn’t a moment to keep dragging out. It happened so let it go.
No. Because he’s a misogynist. And I can’t stand what he said about Amber Heard.
Per usual, a bad decision from the people behind the Oscars.
FFS, just give the Oscars to TikTok to produce and call it a career
It’s way too much of a gimmick to get Chris to host next year. All it will do is make the Oscar’s look thirsty for viewing figures. I guess we will see just how thirsty they are for this clown show.
Plz no. The reaction to Will Smith is already out of proportions and you know he’s going to milk this until it dry. And no Amy Schumer either
No! Sorry, not a fan of Chris Rock and never have been. He has long made disparaging remarks about women of color, and nothing is going to make me watch him or the Oscars again. I’m sick of the celebrities that are still saying that they are traumatized (Wanda Sykes) It wasn’t right what happened, but they let this drag out too long!
Please no. The gig doesn’t belong to him just because he got slapped doing it this year. Move on.
Nope
Nope nope nope. Don’t reward misogynoir. I think the Oscars can do without Chris Rock’s toxic brand of “comedy”.
No. I’m not a fan of Chris Rock, but he’d be dumb af to go back to the same audience who watched him get slapped and did nothing to console him while racing to make sure Will Smith was okay (and I LOVE Will Smith, but he was a total ass for that!). Plus it would all probably be more Will and Jada jokes, and he just needs to leave them people alone and move on.
Will Smith snapped because he was unfairly provoked. It is as much Chris Rock’s and the Academy’s fault for creating the environment for what happened, as it is Will Smith’s fault for resorting to violence.
Chris Rock in no way deserves or needs to be consoled for his a$$f*ckery. Rock is already raking in dough for his misogyny and verbal abuse. Why does he need consoling for what was essentially a sharp sting from an openhanded palm slap? People are acting as if it was a full-fledged, tight-fisted, brass-knuckled punch that caused some kind of physical harm. SMH!
@kelsey
He’s that exact fool, so yes he would.
@aftershocks
People are dragging it out to come sideways at Smith. But this has been a great ass-showing of caucasity for Black Hollywood to see – and bar some – everyone got the memo on white resentment of Black success, and how you can be exemplary for 60 years, have one unfortunate moment and see those years mean nothing. All while white celebs can be arrested, or in court for prolonged egregious nonsense but receive overwhelming support and excuse after excuse – if it reaches the press at all.
I’m glad it happened. So we can see all that performative inclusion of the last few years was not only resented by many but entirely about trying not to get called out during the Trump era post-Me Too.
Shit if they want a show that people will watch with guaranteed shenanigans just get Kat Williams *shrug*
nope
Hells naw. Not that anyone’s going to be watching it anyway.
Maybe he can tell some more Amber Heard jokes until someone white slaps him this time, after which no one will give a rat’s about it – because you know that lesson’s coming.