Kevin Hart has made it clear that he will not be hosting the Oscars again. After stepping down from his hosting duties in 2019 due to controversy surrounding his past “anti-gay” tweets and comments he made a decade ago, Hart has reiterated his stance that awards shows are no longer conducive to comedy.
In an interview with Sky News’ Bethany Minelle, he expressed his belief that the days of comedians dominating the hosting role are over and that the format should shift towards a collaborative approach. The well-respected entertainer firmly believes that awards shows like the Oscars and the Golden Globes have become less comedy-friendly environments. He argues that the pressure on comedians to navigate sensitive topics and the scrutiny over what constitutes a joke have made it increasingly difficult for them to succeed in such roles.
“Whatever little hope you had, I want to destroy it right now. Those gigs aren’t good gigs for comics. It’s no shot to the Oscars, no shot to the Globes, or anything else. Those just aren’t comedy-friendly environments anymore. I think they got it right one year where it was like just a bunch of personalities acting as the hosts and that’s a nice thing. It’s a collaborative thing, different people get to be responsible for act one, act two, act three, but you know, the days of it being a room for a comic, those days are done.”
While expressing his reservations about hosting awards shows, Hart also took the opportunity to praise fellow comedians who have excelled in the hosting role. He mentioned the likes of Chris Rock, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Ricky Gervais as individuals who have “cracked the code” and delivered memorable performances. Hart acknowledged that these comedians had the advantage of being industry insiders, with established relationships that made the hosting experience more comfortable.
“Shout out to those that have cracked the code and done it right early on, you know, the Chris Rocks of the world, the Billy Crystals of the world, the girls we’ve had like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler. Ricky Gervais.“
Having previously hosted the BET Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the MTV Movie Awards, Hart understands the dynamics of awards show hosting. He acknowledges that his familiarity with the room and the people involved has given him an advantage. However, he emphasizes that for those who are not well-connected within the industry, the challenges are far greater. Hart’s experience has led him to conclude that the pressure on comedians to strike the right balance between humor and sensitivity has made the hosting gig increasingly daunting.
“There’s a lot of people that understand that if you’re not an industry comic, meaning a comic that has the relationships of all, then those rooms are very cold. So, me doing it is, of course, at an advantage, because I know the room and for me, and familiar with so many. But, for others it’s not the same,” he said.
“It’s not the gig that it was of old. It’s too much pressure on the idea of a comic and what’s jokes and not jokes. So, it’s tough,” Hart added.
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While Kevin Hart has made his stance clear on hosting awards shows, he continues to thrive in his acting career. His latest venture, the Netflix film “Lift,” began streaming on January 12th. As he explores new avenues and continues to make audiences laugh, it remains to be seen how awards shows will adapt to the changing landscape of comedy and hosting.