THR enlisted Penn Schoen Berland to gauge viewer interest via an online survey of 550 awards show viewers ages 13 to 59 taken Nov. 6. Results were compared against a sample of 450 viewers interviewed after James Franco and Anne Hathaway were announced as hosts in 2010.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesOne day after director Brett Ratner announced his decision to resign from his post as producer of the 2012 Oscars amidst controversy involving his use of a homophobic slur, his Tower Heist star Eddie Murphy also revealed he would no longer host the awards telecast.
Quickly after the announcement Murphy became a trending topic on twitter, with many in the industry taking an opportunity to comment on the news, and in a lot of cases, offer their suggestions for his replacement.
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Not surprisingly, eight-time host Billy Crystal‘s name was mentioned so many times, he also began trending.
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Here’s what Hollywood’s saying about the Oscars news.
“Billy Crystal’s phone must have vibrated to pieces at this point,” said Community star and host of E!’s The Soup, Joel McHale.
.”Eddie Murphy quit the Oscars! Yoo-hoo, Academy! I am SO available!,” joked Andy Richter.
“@JuddApatow produce the oscars. thanks,” wrote actor David Krumholtz.
To which the director responded, ” I need four hours and Otto and George to host.”
“I’ll host the Oscars if Billy Crystal and Wolverine are busy..,” actor Zach Braff offered.
“We’re six hours away from the announcement that Billy Crystal is coming back,” snarked Damon Lindelof.
STORY: Eddie Murphy’s 6 Biggest Missteps Before Bailing on the Oscars
“I just hope this gives Eddie Murphy more time to be a good Samaritan,” comedian Jeff Katz joked after tweeting “Billy Crystal, you’re on in five…”
Hell House producer Chad Darnell said, ” Well, at least we’ll never have to hear the words “and the Oscar goes to… Eddie Murphy.”
“Eddie Murphy drops out of Oscars telecast. Your move,Yahoo Serious,” tweeted comic musician Al Yankovic.
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To which Seth Meyers responded, “Have to say @iamcolinquinn is making a very convincing case that he should produce the Oscars.”
Comedian Michael Buckley said, “I am glad Eddie Murphy is not hosting the Oscars. I vote for Tina Fey! or Kristin Wiig! #Oscars.”
STORY: Brian Grazer Is Top Choice to Replace Ratner as Oscar Producer (Exclusive)
A twitter feed campaigning for the Muppets to host the Academy Awards tweeted, ” Oh baby we’re back in business!”
The Insider co-host Brooke Anderson asked her followers, “Who do u want to host the Oscars now that Eddie Murphy is out?
“You just know Chris Tucker got all excited when he heard Eddie Murphy bailed as Oscars host,” wrote humorist Andy Levy.
“What was the Academy thinking in the first place when it hired Ratner … they wanted young and edgy, but they couldn’t stomach it,” asked TMZ head Harvey Levin. “They kinda knew what they were getting, right?”
The Twitter account for Funny or Die suggested, “Eddie Murphy & Brett Ratner should start their own awards show across the street from the Oscars with strippers and cocaine and no awards.”
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