When Seth MacFarlane was announced as the next host of the Oscars, half the country went, "Who?" while the other half, mostly his young "Family Guy" fan base, cheered.
Though MacFarlane is the comic genius behind the wildly popular animated TV shows, "Family Guy," "The Cleveland Show" and "American Dad," as well as this past summer's raunchy blockbuster comedy "Ted," he remains a relative outsider to Hollywood.
That makes him both appealing and unpredictable.
"If it's too soft I'm going to disappoint a lot of my fan base, if is too hard I'm going to lose that room," MacFarlane told ABC News' Barbara Walters in December about the balance he'll try to strike this Sunday, when the 85th Academy Awards is presented live on ABC.
Make Your Picks with Oscar.com's My Picks
MacFarlane revealed on "Good Morning America" Thursday that nothing -- and no one -- will be off-limits to him as possible targets for jokes.
And, if initial reaction to the cracks he made while announcing the Oscar nominees last month is any indication, audiences could be in for a wild ride.
"In the less than 10 minutes it took to announce the nominees, MacFarlane managed to insult his co-presenter, belittle the achievements of several nominees and make a Hitler joke," Slate wrote.
Full List of Nominees
Though MacFarlane often pushes the boundaries of the TV censors for his animated shows, the 39-year old promises the jokes on Sunday will still be family friendly -- to an extent.
"The Oscars will still be something a family in 2013 can sit down and watch and be just fine with," he told USA Today earlier this week. "A family in 1955 might have some issue with it. In 2013, everyone will be fine. Then again, I'm not married and I don't have kids. And my mother was saying (nasty things) out loud by the time I was 5. So maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask."
"The Oscars have been criticized for seemingly not being relevant, and that goes to our choice of Seth," producer Neil Meron told USA Today. "He's a reflection of the current pop culture and completely relevant. We love that."
MacFarlane's already demonstrated his hosting chops with Comedy Central roasts of David Hasselhoff, Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen. He's the only host to be asked back again. Don't expect him to repeat at the Oscars, though. He's already declared this a one-off gig.
See How Seth MacFarlane Thinks He'll Do As Host
Asked by "GMA" what superlative he thought would be used to describe his job as host, MacFarlane responded, "Gosh, I don't know -- most astonishingly dazzlingly mediocre?"
If you still have no clue who he is, we've made a list of seven things you should know about Seth MacFarlane ahead of Sunday's Academy Awards.
Make sure to tune in to Backstage Pass on Oscar Sunday to see your favorite celebrities walk the red carpet and follow the winners backstage. Click here to learn how!
No comments:
Post a Comment