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Ellen To Host The Oscars
Other | Monday 5th August 2013 | Ayse
Ellen DeGeneres Will Be Hosting The 2014 Oscars
To the millions of viewers of her show, she’s a beloved household name and ray of sunshine on American daytime television. To children, she’s the voice of the electric blue, forgetful fish Dory. But in 2014, talk show personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres will become hostess with the ‘mostess’ as she hosts the Oscars for the second time.
Hosting an event as prestigious and star-studded as the Oscars is widely regarded as one of the most challenging gigs in Hollywood. It presents no small threat as DeGeneres will assume the daunting job of entertaining not only the Hollywood elite at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, but millions of viewers the world over.
DeGeneres made the announcement via twitter to her 21 million followers, stating: "It's official: I'm hosting the #Oscars! I'd like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra."
Reception to the news has been overwhelmingly positive after last year’s host, Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane was met with considerable criticism as his edgier performance was littered with misogynistic humour, resulting in a sustained discomfort throughout. MacFarlane was selected to host the Academy Awards with the hope that he would appeal to a younger male demographic, and whilst his performance generated high ratings for the broadcast – 40.3 million people watched, 2% higher than the year before – he said he would not agree to host the Oscars again due to the outrage that his jokes caused and the subsequent backlash he received. By contrast, DeGeneres’ command over the evening will be markedly more comforting.
Ellen, who hosted the Oscars in 2007, has been regarded as a ‘safe bet’ for a night of fun-loving without the anxious potential for controversy and the unexpected.
Oscars producers and personal friends of DeGeneres, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said of their choice of host: “There are few stars today who have Ellen’s gift for comedy, with her great warmth and humanity. She is beloved everywhere,”
The 86th Academy Awards are scheduled to air on 2 March, 2014.
Ayse Huseyin
