Seth MacFarlane as Oscar Host: Will He Sink or Swim?

Like many of you, we were all surprised with some of the Oscar nomination snubs this year. You know what also continues to baffle viewers? The out-of left-field picks for a host. Bob Hope, Frank Capra, Billy Crystal and ... Seth MacFarlane? Seriously, who really saw that one coming? As surprising as dual hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco were a few years ago, MacFarlane is someone who — at face value — seems like another desperate attempt by the Academy to gain the always-valuable younger demographic for the telecast.

Forget about who's nominated, many will surely tune in to see Peter Griffin. Can we expect a similar stunt to the 2007 Emmys when Stewie and Brian opened the show? It's rare to see MacFarlane make a public appearance without at least one Family Guy impression, so we wouldn't bet against it.



But at the age of 39, MacFarlane has accomplished quite a bit. He brought a show back from the dead, and Family Guy has spawned the creation of Fox's Animation Domination, Sunday-night cartoon block that's clearly centered around MacFarlane's creations. Never did we think there would be a day when we'd have to explain who the Simpsons are, but the long-running animated sitcom is now buried under The Cleveland Show, Family Guy and American Dad. (Yes,we know that Bob's Burgers is in there too, but you get the point).

Then came Ted. For anyone not familiar with the TV shows just mentioned, that movie proved to everyone that MacFarlane is a pretty talented guy. We also realized that MacFarlane wasn't just content with dominating television. He now has the potential to make the Oscars not only an enjoyable event for the people who'd watch if mayonnaise hosted but also for the people who might be tuning in for the very first time.

Of course, MacFarlane realizes that he walks a fine line between keeping the traditional Oscar viewers happy and entertaining his own fans, telling The Associated Press, "I've set myself up for the hardest job in the world because the fans of Family Guy and Ted and the shows and whatnot that I do are expecting one thing. If I deliver that, this crowd will walk out." Can MacFarlane find a way to make the ceremony exciting while not putting us to sleep like Crystal?

Here’s a few other things you may not know about MacFarlane:



1. The guy is a skilled pianist. He also sings. Despite battling the flu during Oscar rehearsals, expect MacFarlane to break into song at least once. Probably more.

2. He’s rich. Very, very rich. MacFarlane's contract with Fox for Family Guy and American Dad alone was worth $100 million.

3. He was as a ticket holder for American Airlines flight 11 from Boston on Sept. 11, 2001. He missed the plane by 35 minutes.

Whether you’re a fan of this year’s pick as host or not, don’t forget about this:



No matter how MacFarlane does, it could be worse.