10 People Who Should Host the 2013 Oscars

So what if it's only August? It's never to early to start discussing who will host the 85th Academy Awards. The Academy is already working on this problem themselves, most likely rejecting the idea of Jimmy Fallon serving as the host of the 2013 Oscars. Which is a shame, since Fallon would be just the kind of host the Academy needs. Smart, funny and a huge fan of pop culture. Fallon is also safe enough to capture the traditional audience while being cool enough to bring in a younger generation of Oscar fans. The Academy had the right idea when it went with James Franco and Anne Hathaway a few years ago, but that experiment just didn't work out.

The last thing we need is another Billy Crystal-hosted Oscar ceremony, so here are ten suggestions for who should host the 2013 Oscars.



Conan O'Brien
You want the Internet crowd to care about something? Conan O'Brien had crowds of Internet-savvy people rallying in his support after The Tonight Show was taken away from him. If ABC won't take Fallon because he's NBC's golden boy, why not got with the man who NBC tried to destroy? O'Brien also has several Emmy hosting gigs under his belt, so he's proven he can handle the big shows. And honestly, who doesn't want to see the Masturbating Bear crash the Oscars?

•   •   •

Justin Timberlake
If his Saturday Night Live hosting appearances have taught the world anything, it's that Justin Timberlake knows his way around both live shows and pre-taped segments. If the Oscar show is supposed to be just that — a show — bring in a host who do it all. Timberlake clearly works well with Lorne Michaels, so if ABC is OK with Michaels producing, let's pair these two up again and see what happens. And, no, I'm not going to say that Timberlake could bring sexy back to the Oscars.

•   •   •

Tina Fey
With 30 Rock wrapping up its final season, Tina Fey is going to have to find something to keep busy with. Why not make that something be writing and hosting an Academy Awards show? Not counting Hathaway's co-hosting job, Ellen Degeneres was the last female Oscar host back in 2007. Anyone who knows Fey from SNL, her Sarah Palin appearances or 30 Rock would start lizzing if she were named the host of the 2013 Oscars.

•   •   •

Neil Patrick Harris
It's Neil Patrick Harris. C'mon, how do you not want the guy to host the Oscars? Emmys? Tonys? TV Land Awards? Harris has hosted them all. He's more than ready for the big show. Not only would a Harris-hosted Oscar ceremony guarantee a theatrical show, but we'd most likely get magic too. You know what would be? Legendary.

•   •   •

Robert Downey Jr.
When Robert Downey Jr. walks into a room, he's instantly the coolest guy there. Isn't that the spark that the Oscars needs? Downey not only has an Oscar to his name, but the man comes from parents who were heavily involved in the film industry. After years in the wilderness, Downey is one of the biggest names in movies. Let him host the biggest award ceremony in movies.

•   •   •

Ricky Gervais
Now that Ricky Gervais has hosted the Golden Globes roughly 50 times, the Academy needs to call the comedian up the big leagues. Would Gervais offend some of the stodgy stars at the Oscars? Yes. Is that a problem? Not if you want to liven stuff up. If there's an Anti-Billy Crystal when it comes to hosting Oscars, Gervais would be that man.

•   •   •

Jon Hamm
Whether it's Mad Men, Bridesmaids, SNL or The Daily Show, Jon Hamm has showed that he's game for any challenge thrown at him. Sure the guy hasn't ever been nominated for an Oscar, but that shouldn't keep him from hosting the ceremony. Like Timberlake, Hamm has frequently worked with Michaels, bringing with him a familiarity to base an Oscar show on.

•   •   •

Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler is probably a bit busy being a newly elected member of the Pawnee City Council to host the Oscars, but if the actress could take some time out of her schedule, she's definitely liven up the ceremony. Remember that Sarah Palin Rap from SNL? Give Poehler the chance to put together an Oscar opening sketch.

•   •   •

Danny Pudi and Donald Glover
As Community's Troy and Abed, Danny Pudi and Donald Glover already know how to host a show (it may be a show without cameras or anything else tangible, but it's still a show). Make Troy and Abed at the Oscars a reality and watch the Twitterverse go crazy. Unlike Fallon, a property that NBC wants to protect, it's no secret that the network is trying to kill Community. Odds are, ABC wouldn't even realize Pudi and Glover worked for a rival network.

•   •   •

The Muppets
If ABC only wants to work with its own talent, then bring in the Muppets. ABC and Disney, the network's parent company, have few other talents that boast the showbiz experience that the Muppets have. They sing, they tell jokes, they'll probably work for cheap. What more could the Academy ask for in its Oscar hosts?