Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin Chosen as Oscar Hosts

With Neil Patrick Harris doing a wonderful job hosting the Emmys and the Golden Globes electing to go with British comedian Ricky Gervais, the people putting together the Oscars knew that they had to go all out with their host choice for the 2010 show. Although not the "home run" that they were probably hoping for, the choice to go with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin as co-hosts will probably end up being a victory in the end.

The trouble started when Hugh Jackman turned down an offer to repeat his performance as Oscar host. Universally praised for his opening musical number and his wit throughout, Jackman's decision to not return for consecutive years as Oscar host came as a shock, and Oscar was forced to find someone worthy not only of replacing Jackman's fantastic performance, but also of competing with both Neil Patrick Harris' great turn as Emmy host and the buzz that has accompanied Gervais being tapped to be the first person to host the Golden Globes since 1994. Although a strange decision at first glance, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin should make wonderful co-hosts for the Oscar ceremony.

Steve Martin, who has hosted the Oscars twice before and the live sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live a total of fifteen times (more than any other host), seems a logical choice to lead the Oscar telecast. The decision to throw Baldwin, who has never hosted the Oscars, into the mix seems to be the part of this decision that has been questioned the most, although I believe the decision works and will more than likely result in a terrific ceremony.

Alec Baldwin, who is second on the list with fourteen Saturday Night Live hosting appearances, in recent years has transformed himself from a mid-level dramatic actor to a tour-de-force comedian, most notably due to his lauded guest role on the sitcom Will & Grace and his award winning role on the sitcom 30 Rock. Although he doesn't have the stand-up comedy background that Martin does, Baldwin will bring a different dimension to the telecast that Martin alone would not have.

And therein lies the real genius in this decision, which is the ability of the two hosts to play off of each other: Steve Martin as the experienced mentor and Alec Baldwin as the fresh newcomer to the Oscar scene. If anyone questions their ability to perform together, it should be noted that Martin appeared in an episode of 30 Rock, and seemed to have great chemistry with Baldwin in the few scenes they were in together. Whether this will translate to performing live together has yet to be seen, although both men are seasoned professionals in the acting world, and I see no reason why they should not be given the benefit of the doubt.

The main detraction levied against Alec Baldwin, however, is not his ability to act but rather his public persona as a whole. Baldwin has frequently spoken out in favor of Democratic politicians and levied very harsh criticism to both former president George Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney. Although this has the potential to drive some people away from watching the Oscars, it should be noted that over the last twenty years Oscar hosts have included outspoken liberals such as Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Ellen DeGeneres, and Billy Crystal. To think that Alec Baldwin's political views will do more harm to the telecast than Jon Stewart's political views did in his years as host seems a little bit fallacious.

Although it might not reach the acclaimed levels of Hugh Jackman's performance last year or Neil Patrick Harris' recent performance at the Emmys, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin seem poised to make the Oscar ceremony both funny and exciting. Now we just have to wait until February 2^nd for the actual Oscar nominations to be announced.