Oscar Telecast Crystal Clear

It’s no secret the the Academy of Motion Pictures (Arts & Science if you want to be technical) have struggled in recent years to maintain audiences in key demographics.  Recent years have seen the likes of James Franco, Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway and Jon Stewart take to the stage in hopes of not only drawing in younger viewers, but keep the notoriously long telecast flowing smoothly so the time is not felt by audiences.  Needless to say, after last years debacle with Anne Hathaway and James Franco, the Academy turned to none other than…Eddie Murphy?  Originally set to host the Oscars, Murphy, whose early career in standup, was recruited to bring tasteful “raunchiness” to the ceremony that would skew to younger and older viewers.  Murphy stepped down last November, after the man who recruited him, then Oscar producer Brett Ratner, was ousted due to derogatory homophobic comments made in jest during a string of interviews.  This misstep led to the Academy calling back to the stage fan favorite Billy Crystal.  Having hosted the show nine times (including his current stint), Crystal is no stranger to the politics and pressure that come along with hosting the Oscars.  The show opened with the typical sketch that poked fun at the best picture nominees (a sketch that included a quite memorable kiss between Crystal and George Clooney, Justin Beiber who appeared to help draw the younger demographic, and Crystal in blackface as Sammy Davis Jr.), which transitioned into Crystals well known song and dance targeting best director and actor nominees.  This was perhaps the most enjoyable Oscar telecast since the last time Crystal hosted, bringing in more viewers than the previous two years and flowing seamlessly.  I think that the Academy should stop searching for the younger demographic through their host choices and let the younger demographic discover what the rest of America already knows, Billy Crystal is enjoyable no matter what age and he should be the standing host for the Oscars, so long as he wants it.