25 best award show hosts
By Reed Gaudens
11. Jon Stewart
Show: 43rd Annual Grammy Awards (2001), 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002), 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006), 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)
Memorable Moments: If there’s one voice in comedy that’s always had something to say, it’s Jon Stewart. After hosting the Grammy Awards twice, the former host of the The Daily Show leveled up for two non-consecutive years as the ringleader of the Oscars. Naturally, there had been worries that he’d use the platform to go political, and while he did pepper in some social commentary, Stewart threw most of his barbs at celebrities. In 2006, there were jokes about Angelina Jolie and a pre-taped segment featuring past hosts. Stewart kept the same formula though dashed in a few riskier jokes for his 2008 turn as host.
Public Reception: As much of a task as it may be to host the Oscars in this political climate, both years that Jon Stewart hosted were pivotal years for both our country and the industry. Of course, Stewart poked all the right fun and made at the right jokes, earning him mostly positive reviews from critics. At that point, he’d had a lot to live up to, but he managed. Jon Stewart’s two runs at hosting the Academy Awards have landed him on many “best” lists, including Variety’s rundown of the last 13 hosts, where his 2008 hosting gig snagged the top spot.
Why They’re One of the Best: A lot of hosts try to merge political humor with the low-hanging fruit of making jokes at the expense of celebrities. Whether the host wrote the jokes or they’re reading what they’ve been given, the mixture of high and low brow humor doesn’t have a flawless track record. Jon Stewart made a career out of political humor on The Daily Show, which offered him up as the obvious choice to host the Oscars in years when politics are especially tough and pop culture has been doing the most. Stewart made such a colossal undertaking look like a breeze.