Weekly Poll: The Oscar Flap

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By now I think we’re all sick of hearing about director Brett Ratner being fired as Oscar producer, and apparently taking his host, Eddie Murphy, down with him. Billy Crystal has been named as the show’s new host, but hypothetically speaking… Who really belongs on that podium come Oscar night?

When it comes to Oscar hosts, there have been more stinkers than winners. David Letterman couldn’t stop doing his late night show. The same goes for Jon Stewart. Whoopie Goldberg couldn’t stop being political. Chris Rock toned down his usual outrageousness to the point that he was just boring. And do I even need to mention last year’s asleep-at-the-wheel James Franco, who was positively anemic next to his bubbly co-host, Anne Hathaway?

There’s no arguing that Murphy would have been a welcome break from the same old, same old. He’s sharp and quick-witted, and edgy enough to spice things up. It’s not his fault that Ratner was fired. But there again, it’s hard to argue against Billy Crystal, when he’s dominated the position so many times in the past. (He’s the closest thing our generation has to a consistently great host like Bob Hope. Although personally, I prefer Steve Martin’s brilliantly smarmy observations about how much Hollywood loves itself.)

So we put it to you: in a perfect world, who would be hosting the 2012 Oscars?