Update: ABC debunks the idea, says it’s absolutely false.
The Guardian is reporting that people have been discussing Whoopi Goldberg as the possible Oscar host. If so, and if they’re planning on springing this on the Oscar audience, are they hoping that word will travel fast on Twitter, blow up, and then blow up the ratings? Or are they spreading the news this way, feeding it out into the collective? Or is it completely wrong. No one knows for sure.
So why wouldn’t they publicize it? The Guardian brings up the — wait for it — “problematic” original thinking by Goldberg on Liam Neeson. I know, I know — how dare she actually have an opinion now, right? But there are still some out there unafraid and willing to, you know, actually speak their minds. Here is what she said:
“People walk around sometimes with rage, that’s what happens,” Goldberg said. “Is he a bigot? No. I’ve known him a pretty long time, I think I would have recognised … I’ve been around a lot of real bigots. I can say this man is not one.”
She added: “You can’t be surprised that somebody whose loved one is attacked is angry and wants to go out and attack. What he did go on to say … is that he realised that it was too dark for him, he went and got himself help.”
You can imagine if the Academy announced this early how the hive mind would react. Is this a clever way of dropping a host and subverting hivemind hysteria? I have no idea. Can I just say something for the record that if she IS the host? I will be a happy happy human on Oscar night. I love Whoopi Goldberg so much. She’s already hosted four times: 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2002. She’s brilliant in her Oscar-winning role in Ghost and in The Color Purple. But more than that, I have always admired her refreshing inclination to speak her mind, no matter the cost. So, here’s hoping.
At the risk of being cancelled by Twitter, I do think she has a point. His initial reaction and behavior was wrong, no question about it, and I totally understand people who can’t get past that. Thankfully, his better angels yanked his ass back before he had a chance to actually harm anyone physically; he realized just how horrible he was being, and he did something about it, namely, getting therapy. If there’s a history of subsequent dreadful behavior, then bring it forth; otherwise, he would appear to have learned his lesson and become a better person than he was at that time. If we can’t accept that people can learn and grow and change, even when they’ve committed serious wrongs, then what’s the point?
Having said that, I’d like to point out that it would be the height of hypocrisy if Neeson becomes a Hollywood exile for something he ended up not doing, and someone who actually has a history of racist behavior, including physically attacking and maiming people, is allowed to continue on his merry way as a box-office bonanza, having displayed far less contrition over the past 20+ years than Neeson did in one interview. Then again, we all know how money talks… *cough* Mark Walhberg, please pick up the white courtesy phone… *cough*
I think Whoopi could be one of the hosts. A comic relief reunion with Billy Crystal? Steve Martin and Martin Short; Tina and Amy; Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Jackman?
What they really need (and deserve) is Ricky Gervais.
ABC didn’t debunk shit! They’re just pissed their super-secret plans have been revealed. I won’t believe them until I see a death certificate. In fact, that would be the ultimate rating booster:
1. Break the news that Whoopi died on Saturday, like that time they pretended Whitney died the day before the Grammys.
2. Have the Academy president introduce the show and tell everyone Whoopi was indeed supposed to be the surprise host of the evening, even though she had lethal pneumonia, and her monologue was recorded.
3. The music from ‘Ghost’ starts playing as a Whoopi hologram appears on stage to deliver the pre-recorded monologue.
4. The monologue gets weirder and weirder until the real Whoopi breaks on stage and starts arguing with her own hologram.
5. Huge gasp in the audience followed by a tearful standing ovation!
There was one more awards organization to be heard from.
The 54th annual Nebula Award nominations by the Science Fiction Writers of America were announced yesterday, and these are the nominees for its highest honor, the Ray Bradbury Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Black Panther
A Quiet Place
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Dirty Computer
Sorry to Bother You
and….
The Good Place (!!, for the episode Jeremy Bearimy)
Winners announced May 18.
Tina Fey Amy Poehler. They could pull it together at the last minute. Together. Solo. Whatever. They are just brilliant.
Would be a bold move to pick someone who once hosted the longest Oscar ceremony in an attempt to try and get a very short Oscar ceremony.
Would be a bold move to pick someone who once hosted the longest Oscar ceremony in an attempt to try and get a very short Oscar ceremony.
It would be career seppuku for anyone to host this train wreck of a show.
i would be soooo happy too. Roll on Sunday
The associate was a fun movie what about the telephone. Hollywood squares, ghost, two sister act movies. Guest in the muppets, corrrina, Boys on the side
Well, from stuff she has said on The View for years it seems she would be open to the gig. She knows how to steer the show, understanding it exists only to award very stressed out nominees. She would be awesome. I wish it were true.
Joy said that Whoopi has pneumonia. I don’t know….2 weeks to recover from pnuemonia sounds strange to me.
Anywho, the first Honest Oscar voter is out https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/brutally-honest-oscar-ballot-roma-just-an-expensive-home-movie-1187668
I love these confessions!
Took me about two weeks to recover from pneumonia once. It’s pretty horrendous stuff.
Took me about two weeks to recover from pneumonia once. It’s pretty horrendous stuff.
One thing I find interesting about these sometimes is how much some of these voters misunderstand the preferential ballot – case in point they put Vice lower on their picture ballot because it can’t win so they need to be strategic… Which is exactly what the preferential ballot is in place to stop you having to do.
Shame it’s not true, would have been a fairly clever solution to the problem.
Whoopi Goldberg is the kind of hot tOpic host. And she is fine in many movies including the oscarless the color purple
She was the best in the Associate. I just watched the video a couple of months ago and was surprised at how entertained I was. In fact, it’s a forerunner movie in its topic. Taraji Henson has a movie out that could be based on the Associate.
Love Whoopi, but would love to see Sacha Baron Cohen host this shit. 😉
I would love this if it happened!
Joy said on The View that it’s not true.
Unless she’s fibbing or she IS sick, but also on the mend for the Oscars. But yeah, I’m inclined to believe she won’t be on.
At this point I’m actually looking forward to the hostless show… ABC should art least stick to their guns on one of their stupid decisions this year
They should have Liam Neeson stroll out at the very start with Whoopi Goldberg and Viola Davis, arm in arm. Now that would be a way to start a show!
“Either the Internet is Losing its Mind or Whoopi Goldberg is the Secret Host”
Both these things can be true.
The internet already lost it’s mind
The Internet HAD a mind?!?
we called it the “Hive mind”
LMAO.
Whoopi should co-host the show with Liam Neeson. Fuck Twitter!
This year is so unpredictable, it is constantly nagging the back of my mind. I cant keep second guessing myself anymore :). Here are my final predictions, and I will start to relax a bit before oscars. Prediction with a * next to it is my personal choice as well.
Best Pic : Roma *
Best Dir: Roma, Alfonso Cauron *
Foreign Film: Roma * (Cold war can upset)
Animated Film: Spiderman *
Doc Film: Free Solo * (Minding the Gap is equally deserving)
Best Actor: Rami Malek *
Best Actress: Glen Close *
Best Sup Actress: Regina King (Amy Adams can upset, Rachel Weisz* is my personal choice)
Best Sup Actor: Ali seems to be consensus (but I like Richard E Grant *)
Best Original Screenplay: The Favorite* (Roma can upset)
Best Adapted Screenplay: BlackKKlansman*
Cinematography: Cold War* in an upset over Roma (Roma is close)
Editing: BlackKKlansman (Vice)
Original Score: Black Panther (If Beale street could talk is my second choice)
Original Song: Shallow *
Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody*
Sound Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody (slight edge over A Quiet Place*)
Production Design : Black Panther*
Visual Effects : Avengers (Ready Player One* can upset)
Costume : Black Panther*
Makeup and Hair: Vice
Short Film Animated: Weekends* (slim lead over Bao)
Short film live: Marguerite* (Skin can upset)
Short film docs: Period. End of Sentence (End Game* is my choice)
I am fairly confident of my choices in most categories. I still have zero idea about original score.