The Oscars Select Three Hosts, and We're Not Going to Mention The Worst Things We Know About Them

By Dustin Rowles | Film | February 15, 2022 |

By Dustin Rowles | Film | February 15, 2022 |

There was a NYTimes op-ed about Whoopi Goldberg from Nathan Hersh that circulated around Jewish Twitter last week that resonated in the community and with me, personally, given what I do for a living. It takes issue with Whoopi Goldberg antisemitic remarks a couple of weeks ago, but also with ABC for suspending her. Why? Because, as Hersh writes, “silencing people for ignorance and a misunderstanding of antisemitism is largely unhelpful and is, at its core, un-Jewish; Jewish tradition emphasizes the acceptance and importance of apology.”

Hersh talked about the importance of educating instead of shaming, at least as the first line of defense, although he recognized that sterner measures should be taken when attempting to educate someone doesn’t work (he spoke specifically of Marjorie Taylor Greene). Ultimately, he concluded, “Bigots may never be convinced by facts and reason, but treating every misguided person like a bigot changes no one’s mind.”

I still have some issues with the way that Goldberg apologized while also continuing to push her point on The Late Show, but she nevertheless provided a fully appropriate apology the next day before ABC suspended her, which really did do a disservice not just to Goldberg but to the larger discussion. Instead of allowing Goldberg to stay on the air and continue to have that conversation about antisemitism, ABC effectively silenced it. The network didn’t want to talk about it; they wanted it to go away.

Moreover, given the “online culture” we live in, Goldberg’s remarks are going to continue to live with her. We are not a forgiving community. Whenever Goldberg’s name is mentioned, this controversy will resurface because we have a tendency to associate celebrities with the worst thing they ever did. I know, because if we mention a celebrity without also mentioning the worst thing they ever did, someone will remind us, often with a wagging finger, even if we did spend two weeks back in 2014 putting that celebrity through the wringer for that very offense.

Maybe we shouldn’t do that so much? I mean, yes: In cases where someone has committed violent sexual assault, for instance, it’s appropriate to equate that person with the worst thing he’s ever done, and it’s also appropriate if that person remains an ongoing threat (Mel Gibson, Joe Rogan), or who never f**king learned a thing (Louis C.K., Joss Whedon). But maybe we don’t need to resurface every bad thing we’ve ever heard — rumor or otherwise — about someone when they’re brought up in the context of a pop-culture conversation.

That brings me to the Oscars and the three celebrities who were chosen to host this year’s ceremony. A number of people were apparently approached about being one of the three hosts, and a lot of them declined, including Jon Hamm, who Variety reports, exited negotiations over the weekend. He would have been an excellent part of that hosting team, but in an environment where a person is so often associated with the worst thing he ever did, I understand why he might have bailed. Why go through that scrutiny for a thankless job when people like us will probably sh*t on his performance the day after the telecast anyway? “You mean, I get to have every tweet, relationship, and public statement I’ve ever made scrutinized and everyone will hate the jokes that were written for me at the telecast anyway? No thanks!”

So, I’m going to try something — and I’m 70 percent sure it’s going to blow up in my face — and it is this: I’m going to tell you who Will Packer — the producer of this year’s Oscars (and of Girls’ Trip, among many other movies) — selected as hosts, and I’m not going to bring up the worst thing I know about those people, even though I’m sure in the case of two of the hosts (who have years of stand-up material to excavate), there’s undoubtedly bad jokes, offensive tweets, or questionable behavior that could be mentioned.

Those hosts are Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer. Wanda Sykes is a scene-stealing joy on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Black-ish, and The Other Two, and she is also a huge, longtime supporter and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She is also funny as hell, and if only one of the hosts is selected to do the monologue, I hope it’s her.

Regina Hall, meanwhile, has never been given the recognition she deserves for being one of her generation’s most talented (and funny) actresses (watch Support the Girls!), and if the Academy is not going to recognize her talent on the screen, at least this should give her one of the largest stages in Hollywood to show off her talents. She should be an A-lister. Maybe this will help.

Then there’s Amy Schumer, who starred in her own very funny skit show that featured a cutting Friday Night Lights parody starring Josh Charles and that also surfaced a lot of rape culture issues years before MeToo. She also starred in the very funny Trainwreck. More recently, she was also arrested for protesting the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, and her documentary series Expecting Amy provided an unfiltered look at the realities of pregnancy.

It’s a promising trio, and while I don’t expect it will do anything to reverse the ratings slide of the Oscar telecast, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can bring.

(This was much harder than I thought it would be.)