So, in a few hours now, Ellen DeGeneres will host the Academy Awards. Because the "Best Picture" race is wide-open and because half of America is frozen in ice and snow, there will probably be a decent audience.
I will follow my new tradition of Tivo'ing awards shows so that when someone starts to name agents, managers, and hairdressers instead of saying something charming or witty about the film or their role in it, then I will zip past them. On to the next, yes?
I doubt very much I will need the Tivo for Ellen's bits, though...
For me, watching Ellen DeGeneres brings back a lot of memories, going back to 2001 when she hosted the Emmy awards that, unfortunately, I had a big part in canceling -- twice -- because of 9/11 and then the war in Afghanistan.
Ellen was absolutely terrific that year -- welcoming us to the 53rd, 54th and 55th Emmy awards, then casting herself as the Taliban's worst nightmare, wondering if there was anything that could bug them more than a lesbian woman in a pantsuit surrounded by Jews. Her tone was perfect and her timing spot on.
Quick refresher. The Emmys in 2001 were originally slated to take place on September 16, which became impossible in the immediate shock and grief of 9/11. So we re-scheduled for October 7, only to have the bombing campaign on Afghanistan start that morning, forcing us to cancel a second time. Finally, on November 4 we put them on -- after all, by then all we had to compete against was an incredibly exciting 7th game of the World Series! At least they happened...
In the third Emmy awards that happened on my watch -- 2003 -- Ellen was also one of 11 comedians who we had share the hosting duties. She also co-hosted with Patricia Richardson in 1994. When you get four times on the stage as a host, you're moving past trend to habit. Then they asked her back last year. I guess the people who run the Oscars were watching TV even when they pretend not to.
The virtual photo album I've put together from my Emmy experience can be seen by clicking here. A lot of it deals with the 2001 Emmys. Here's the specific page with Ellen. I've put a lot of crazy captions with celebrities inside - from Eric McCormack to Jon Stewart to Michael Chiklis.
But today belongs to Oscar...
