The absence of a host marks this year’s Oscars as the most exceptional movie awards production in the 21st century

The Oscars 2019, taking place on February 24, is the most representative event in the global film society. The highlight of the event is always the humorous monologues delivered by the hosts. However, without a charming Hollywood star to entertain the audience for this year’s Oscars, the public began to wonder how the awards would work.

The news of the absence of a host is closely related to Kevin Hart, a well-known comedian and producer. As a matter of fact, on December 4, 2018, Hart was chosen to be the host for Hollywood’s biggest night, The Oscars 2019. He responded to the media with excitement, “I am blown away simply because this has been a goal on my list.” However, he resigned from this honor due to his offensive comments on a sensitive subject.

Several hours after the announcement of the host, Hart was fiercely attacked on social media because of his tweets, jokes, and statements regarding homophobia from 2009 to 2015. Also, in 2010, Hart even stated that he would prevent his son from being a homosexual, expressing various remarks set on humiliating the LGBTQ community. Hence, after discovering Hart’s past statements, the public not only called for the actor to step down from hosting the Oscars, but also demanded an apology.

Meeting the public’s expectations, Hart did upload a video on Instagram, responding to the issue about his past comments. However, astonishingly, he refused to apologize to the public, especially the LGBTQ community. He asserted that he had made similar comments later than 2010, possibly referring to a Rolling Stones interview in 2015.

In the video, Hart said, “This is not the first time this has come up. I’ve addressed it. I’ve spoken on it. I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were.”

Expectedly, Hart’s Instagram video enraged critics and fans, who criticized that he did not show any regret for his behavior or compassion for the LGBTQ community. On the next day, Hart officially resigned from hosting the Oscars by posting an apology on Twitter.

“I’m sorry that I hurt people… I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart,” said Hart.

After the turmoil with Kevin Hart, the public began to question who might be the next host for this year’s Oscars. The official announcement stated that the Oscars 2019 would rely on skits and musical performances, including Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, and more popular artists, instead of a host.

Without a host, the Oscars opened with a performance from Queen, a British rock band. Also, the former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert appeared and brought energy and enthusiasm to the stage. Compared to the failure of the 1989 Oscars, which did not have a host, either, the “Crystal Cloud” theme and the performances made this year’s Oscars quite successful.

The event ends with Bohemian Rhapsody winning Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing, and its main actor Rami Malek earning the prize “Actor in a Leading Role.” Black Panther, a movie that also earned numerous prizes, won Best Production Design, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Costume Design.

Featured Image – Oscars 2019: A Maddening Spree of Spite and ControversyPhoto Courtesy of VoxSpace

by Selina Tai