Eddie Murphy Quits as Oscars Host

Fresh on the heels of Brett Ratner stepping down from producing the Oscars due to Fag-gate, Eddie Murphy has quit as the award show’s host.

“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” said [Academy President Tom] Sherak.

Commented Murphy, “First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.” [press release via Deadline]

Producing and hosting the Oscars are some of the more thankless jobs in Hollywood (after Ratner cocktail shrimp, of course), so Ratner and Murphy are probably better off doing nothing. The entire night is about fluffing self-important millionaires and trying to satisfy a critical viewing audience that will think the host was either too nice or too mean or too silly or not silly enough. Screw the Oscars, just let James Franco host every year.

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