Should Eddie Murphy host the Oscars? – AWARDS ALLEY

Eddie Murphy’s name has surfaced as the frontrunner to host the 84tht annual Academy Awards.Brett Ratner, who has been tapped to produce the latest Oscar telecast, will meet with Academy president Tom Sherak on Tuesday to present his choices for host, and Deadline reports that Murphy leads the pack.
The connection makes sense on some level. Murphy’s linked to Ratner now, having done the director’s upcoming comedy “Tower Heist.” The Academy favors comedians (Billy Crystal, Steve Martin) as hosts, and Murphy ruled the stage as a standup for large chunks of his career – though he hasn’t performed live stand up in years, to my knowledge. He hasn’t had to. His films, no matter what critics says, have earned a staggering $3 billion at the box office.
Murphy’s presence as host would bring in a younger, more diverse audience who normally would have no interest in the Oscars. We have no doubt he’s capable of handling the gig, if it were handed to him.
But why would he? Hosting the Oscars in a thankless job. Very few are commended. Most often, the talent selected as host only opens themselves up to the harshest criticisms. (Ask James Franco, who’s still talking about last year’s bomb.)
The Deadline piece says Murphy is “showing interest.” But I wonder if he knows how much preparation goes into the hosting gig. It’s hard work. Intense work. Yet the Deadline story mentions that Murphy is an extreme cinephile who worships the Oscars … so maybe he does understand the weight that comes with the gig, and he’s ready to rise up and meet the challenge?
It would be an interesting choice. And ultimately, I’d rather focus on the films being nominated, and not the person introducing the presenters. But it might be Murphy. What do you think?