Everyone cries ‘Who Is Billy Crystal?’ as he blacks-up for Oscars
CELEBRITY is a funny thing. It’s fleeting and elusive and, even if you’re Billy Crystal who starred in That Orgasm Scene From When Harry Met Sally, as well as hosting numerous Oscar ceremonies, it doesn’t mean you still have currency. And so, after some time away from the Academy Awards, Crystal was asked to host once again, after Eddie Murphy dropped out.
And how did it work out? Not well at all.
See, there’s been a reasonable amount of furore after Crystal decided to ‘black-up’ for his opening sketch for the show. Adopting a ‘black face’ is a bit… well… 1970s. People don’t stand for it these days, unless you’re Phonejacker.
Seeing as Billy isn’t a household name anymore, this caused twitter to shriek: “Who is Billy Crystal”, which ended up trending worldwide.
“The whole introductory sequence felt like a pallid sequel – a ghost of Oscars past – and not solely because the host had to labour to incorporate nine nominees,” Variety magazine commented in their Oscars review. “Joke all you want, but for a night, anyway, Oscar unabashedly showed its age. And if that represented an improvement over 2011, chalk it up to this ballot grading on a curve.”
Chances of Billy Crystal getting a tenth hosting slot at the Oscars? Nil. Unless of course, the Academy wants to see interest in its show overtaken by the Grammies that is.
Posted: 27th, February 2012 | In: Celebrities Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
