It takes a certain kind of A-list masochist to take on the Oscar hosting gig.
Seldom do the morning-after reviews give an unrestrained thumbs-up to the person who tackles the task.
That person must score a hugely original and topical victory in the opening minutes, fill in with brilliant ad libs in case of unscripted occurrences throughout, and bring the whole unwieldy enterprise in on time.
Ellen DeGeneres has felt the sting of negative reviews. So have David Letterman and Seth MacFarlane.
This year, repeat producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron reportedly had a list of “first choice” candidates before they settled on Neil Patrick Harris.
The veteran producers begged DeGeneres to again take the gig, according to When she declined, they asked Chris Rock, who also turned them down. They next invited Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but she was not interested.
And that brought them to Neil Patrick Harris.
Harris will host the locally Channel 7. (5 p.m. red carpet, 6:30 p.m. show).
The comic actor, an accomplished song-and-dance man, may be well suited to the task: he has excelled as both Tony and Emmy host over multiple years. He is fast on his feet and a true showman, more versatile than the pure comedians who have attempted to master the three-hour assignment.
He’s at home with the Emmy task as a fan and fixture of television; he’s among peers at the Tonys as a Broadway veteran. But the Academy Awards represent another notch up the showbiz ladder.
Will Harris dignify the setting or err on the side of overindulgence, (sometimes excused as irreverence)? He performed a risque opening act for the Oscar telecast in 2010; the grand production number had him singing about pairs in showbiz history, “’cause, no one wants to do it alone!” — then turning to Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to do the grown-up hosting work.
In 2010, Harris got a laugh by telling the Academy Awards audience, “I know, what am I doing here?” This year, Harris has a nominated movie to his credit (“Gone Girl”), so it may not feel strange to see the “How I Met Your Mother” star in command of the Oscars.
He’s silly on Twitter, as likely to display his dinner plate as raise funds for charities. He lives online as memorably precocious “Doogie Howser M.D.” from 1989. And he’s been out front on the marriage-equality issue for years. Overall, he’s a very of-the-moment pick for host.
But even if he’s terrific, has the power of Oscar-night quips as a barometer of public opinion been diluted?
When Johnny Carson and Bob Hope held sway, their comments were eagerly anticipated for clues to how America felt about issues, politicians and cultural trends. The comic edge they pushed was defining. These days, with so many late-night comics referencing our changing attitudes and political foibles, Oscar-host commentary may be less crucial.
Then again, the show still draws a crowd. Some 43 million viewers tuned in last year (that’s people who watched live plus within the week, according to Nielsen). This telecast remains the annual global platform for showcasing America’s most persuasive export product, entertainment.
This year’s nominees provide fodder for the host’s satirical treatment of issues at the heart of current American culture. Is it possible Harris will have the gravitas to nail the red/blue divide on “American Sniper” or the lack of black nominees (notably the director and lead actor from “Selma”) on the list?
Never bet against NPH.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830, jostrow@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ostrowdp
