Celebrating Thirteen Glorious, Boobtacular Years of Oscar Caliber Nerd Pandering

By Joanna Robinson | Lists | February 6, 2012 |

The Academy Of Motion Picture Art and Sciences just announced this year’s host of the Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies. You know, the other Oscars. The ceremony where all the clever and talented folks who are too unattractive and socially awkward to participate in the actual televised event get a go at the gold. For the past 13 years or so* the Academy has selected some scrumptious starlet, some talented piece of eye candy to host. I’ve always thought that this particular trend was a desperate attempt on the part of the Oscar producers to keep us from wandering off to pop more Orville Redenbacher during the Technical recap. But ever since I saw this photo from last year, I’ve begun to think of it in a new light.

Doesn’t the lovely Ms. Tomei look a bit like a sacrificial lamb here? Like someone threw the prom queen to the chess club? Forget the Little Gold Man, she’s the real prize. And though this trend obviously ignores the Male Gay Nerds and the Straight Lady Nerds (Fassbender ‘13!), it’s some fine and fancy pandering. (To think they hired Richard Dreyfuss in ‘96.) So let’s have a look at some of the lucky ladies who’ve hosted in the past and take a peek at who will be the belle of the Nerd Ball this year.

Salma Hayek (2000)